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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 116 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 seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. swing — in golf
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. row — a line
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. content — the amount
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. row — to paddle
  13. rash — a series
  14. cell — in biology
  15. rash — hasty
  16. swing — music
  17. cell — a phone
  18. content — happy
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. lie — to recline
  21. swing — to play on
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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