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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. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. land — ground
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. spring — a coil
  8. pitch — completely
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. mug — a face
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. land — a country
  14. rock — music
  15. spring — the season
  16. mug — a cup
  17. spring — of water
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. mug — to rob
  20. land — to come down
  21. rule — government
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. rule — a law
  24. pitch — a sports field

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