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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 am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. scale — size or range
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. net — after costs
  6. board — a committee
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. board — to get on
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. scale — in music
  11. net — in sport
  12. race — humankind
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. race — the arms race
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. net — for catching
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. race — a contest
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. rush — hurry

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