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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 met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. squash — to crush
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. current — of water
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. mine — for digging
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. cap — a hat
  11. cap — of ice
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. roll — a list
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. squash — the sport
  16. current — electric
  17. cap — a lid
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. current — happening now
  20. roll — a cake
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. game — a match
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. game — wild animals

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