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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. rash — hasty
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. tube — the underground
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. stock — goods
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. squash — the sport
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. stand — to bear
  17. rash — a series
  18. stock — shares
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. squash — to crush
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. tube — a container
  24. hide — animal skin

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com