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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. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. can — a tin
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. squash — the sport
  8. land — ground
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. sharp — clever
  11. land — a country
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. squash — to crush
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. jam — to spread on bread
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. land — to come down
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. can — to be able to
  24. can — a tin

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