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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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. pit — a hole
  4. rush — hurry
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. pit — in a race
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. saw — the tool
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. saw — the tool
  20. board — to get on
  21. board — a committee
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. ruler — for measuring

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