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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 116 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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. The water is too ________________.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  22. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. cold — not warm
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. cue — a hint
  5. suit — clothes
  6. cue — a signal
  7. degree — temperature
  8. suit — to fit
  9. suit — in cards
  10. spring — a coil
  11. season — in sport
  12. spring — of water
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. degree — an amount
  15. cue — for pool
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. degree — from a university
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. spring — the season
  20. season — of the year
  21. cold — an illness
  22. cold — the Cold War
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. season — to add flavour

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