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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. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. perch — the fish
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. rule — government
  12. rule — a law
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. fine — high quality
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. fine — all right
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. snap — to click
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. lie — to recline
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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