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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. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. rule — government
  5. cue — for pool
  6. march — the month
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. rest — a break
  13. cue — a signal
  14. rest — what's left
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. march — the month
  17. rest — what's left
  18. rule — a law
  19. saw — the tool
  20. cue — a hint
  21. saw — the tool
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. march — music

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