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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. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. cap — a lid
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. stand — to bear
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. rest — what's left
  7. spell — magic
  8. toast — a drink to someone
  9. spell — letters
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. toast — bread
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. cap — of ice
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. rash — a series
  19. cap — a hat
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. rest — what's left
  22. rest — a break
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. spell — a short time

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