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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.

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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. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. mug — a cup
  3. cap — a lid
  4. mug — a face
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. cap — of ice
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. rest — what's left
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. kick — in football
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. rash — a series
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. race — a contest
  17. race — the arms race
  18. rest — what's left
  19. race — humankind
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. rest — a break
  22. mug — to rob
  23. cap — a hat
  24. rash — hasty

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