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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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. mug — a cup
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. stem — to come from
  6. lie — to recline
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. land — ground
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. rush — hurry
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. land — a country
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. mug — to rob
  17. mug — a face
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. land — to come down

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