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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. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. land — a country
  3. track — a song
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. suit — clothes
  6. cell — a phone
  7. track — a path
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. hand — in cards
  10. ball — a great time
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. track — to keep track
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. cell — in biology
  15. land — ground
  16. ball — a dance
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. land — to come down
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. suit — in cards
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. suit — to fit
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. hand — help

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