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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. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. snap — to click
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. chip — for betting
  7. squash — the sport
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. squash — to crush
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. sharp — clever
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. chip — to eat

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