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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 120 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. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. track — a path
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. net — after costs
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. net — for catching
  10. track — to keep track
  11. club — for golf
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. club — a group
  14. tear — from crying
  15. tear — from crying
  16. track — a song
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. club — for dancing
  21. net — in sport
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. tear — to rip

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