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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. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. ground — a position
  3. charge — electricity
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. charge — a price
  6. suit — in cards
  7. season — in sport
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. suit — to fit
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. lean — to bend
  12. ground — crushed
  13. suit — clothes
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. lean — thin
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. ground — the earth
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. charge — in control
  22. season — of the year
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. lean — to rest against

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