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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 120 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. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. season — of the year
  5. squash — to crush
  6. tube — the underground
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. tube — a container
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. season — in sport
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. chair — a leader
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. squash — the sport
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. mouse — the animal

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