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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. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  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. hide — animal skin
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. content — happy
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. lean — to bend
  10. content — the amount
  11. toast — bread
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. charge — in control
  15. band — a music group
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. band — a ring
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. plane — a tool
  21. charge — electricity
  22. charge — a price
  23. hide — to keep secret
  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