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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. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. deal — to handle
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. hand — in cards
  8. field — farmland
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. field — for sport
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. hand — help
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. field — a subject
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. lie — to recline
  24. bowl — a dish

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