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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. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  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. fan — to cool the air
  3. suit — clothes
  4. ground — crushed
  5. pit — a hole
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. pit — in a race
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. face — to point toward
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. cell — in biology
  12. face — to confront
  13. ground — the earth
  14. rash — a series
  15. ground — a position
  16. face — part of the head
  17. cell — a phone
  18. rash — hasty
  19. suit — in cards
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. chair — a leader
  23. suit — to fit
  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