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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. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. wake — a trail
  5. ball — a great time
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. scale — in music
  9. vault — a safe
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. rush — hurry
  12. rule — a law
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. rule — government
  17. cue — a signal
  18. ball — a dance
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. cue — for pool
  21. scale — size or range
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. cue — a hint
  24. rush — a thrill

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