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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. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  23. The water is too ________________.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. content — happy
  4. charge — in control
  5. pit — in a race
  6. charge — electricity
  7. current — happening now
  8. charge — a price
  9. current — electric
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. content — the amount
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. pit — a hole
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. current — of water
  18. cold — the Cold War
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. cold — an illness
  23. cold — not warm
  24. fan — a supporter

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