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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. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. rash — hasty
  3. rash — a series
  4. tube — the underground
  5. board — a committee
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. tube — a container
  8. cue — for pool
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. land — ground
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. cue — a signal
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. land — to come down
  18. land — a country
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. board — to get on
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. cue — a hint

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