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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. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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. rock — a stone
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. tube — the underground
  6. hand — help
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. clip — for paper
  9. rock — music
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. stock — shares
  15. clip — to cut
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. stock — goods
  18. hand — in cards
  19. clip — a video
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. tube — a container
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. fan — a supporter

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