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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. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. He was locked up in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. rush — hurry
  4. cell — in biology
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. swing — music
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. swing — in golf
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. swing — to play on
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. dip — to sink
  21. cell — a phone
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. cell — in a prison

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