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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. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. toast — bread
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. stock — shares
  7. season — in sport
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. season — of the year
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. chest — of your body
  15. squash — to crush
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. squash — the sport
  19. chest — of your body
  20. stock — goods
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. chest — a box
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. squash — the vegetable

Multiple-meaning words list

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

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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