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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. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. land — to come down
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. mark — a trace
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. pop — music
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. saw — the tool
  10. squash — to crush
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. mark — a grade
  13. saw — the tool
  14. land — ground
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. land — a country
  17. pop — to visit
  18. swing — music
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. swing — in golf
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. squash — the sport
  23. swing — to play on
  24. mark — to pay attention

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