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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. That was a fun ________________.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. game — wild animals
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. key — in music
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. suit — to fit
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. wind — moving air
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. charge — in control
  13. charge — a price
  14. cell — a phone
  15. key — for a lock
  16. wind — moving air
  17. key — the most important part
  18. suit — in cards
  19. charge — electricity
  20. cell — in biology
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. suit — clothes
  24. hide — to keep secret

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