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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. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. land — a country
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. mug — a cup
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. face — to point toward
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. rest — a break
  9. rock — music
  10. land — ground
  11. fine — high quality
  12. fine — all right
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. face — to confront
  16. mug — to rob
  17. rest — what's left
  18. foot — a measure
  19. face — part of the head
  20. land — to come down
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. rock — a stone
  23. rest — what's left
  24. mug — a face

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