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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. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. The water is too ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. cold — an illness
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. saw — the tool
  6. swing — in golf
  7. saw — the tool
  8. cold — the Cold War
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. swing — music
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. swing — to play on
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. charge — in control
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. charge — a price
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. charge — electricity
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. mark — a grade
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. cold — not warm

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