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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. present — the time now
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. squash — the sport
  5. wind — moving air
  6. mug — a cup
  7. degree — from a university
  8. squash — to crush
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. mug — a face
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. degree — an amount
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. present — there
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. degree — temperature
  19. present — a gift
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. wind — moving air
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. mug — to rob
  24. leaves — to go away

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