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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. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. squash — to crush
  3. fine — all right
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. cue — for pool
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. tear — from crying
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. tear — to rip
  10. tear — from crying
  11. chest — a box
  12. squash — the sport
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. fine — high quality
  15. chest — of your body
  16. cue — a signal
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. staff — employees
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. staff — a stick
  21. cue — a hint
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. chest — of your body
  24. staff — employees

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