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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. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. snap — to click
  5. land — a country
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. season — of the year
  8. land — ground
  9. stock — shares
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. foot — a measure
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. lie — to recline
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. cue — a hint
  17. stock — goods
  18. cue — a signal
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. cue — for pool
  22. season — in sport
  23. land — to come down
  24. foot — the bottom

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