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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. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. rash — hasty
  3. charge — a price
  4. charge — electricity
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. rest — what's left
  7. fine — high quality
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. saw — the tool
  10. fine — all right
  11. saw — the tool
  12. charge — in control
  13. tube — a container
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. rest — a break
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. stand — to bear
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. rest — what's left
  23. tube — the underground
  24. rash — a series

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