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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. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. squash — the sport
  3. cue — a signal
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. cue — for pool
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. suit — clothes
  10. bound — obliged
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. bound — tied together
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. bound — certain
  18. suit — to fit
  19. squash — to crush
  20. lean — to bend
  21. cue — a hint
  22. suit — in cards
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. lean — thin

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