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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 120 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. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. mark — a grade
  4. cell — in biology
  5. object — an aim
  6. saw — the tool
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. squash — to crush
  9. cell — a phone
  10. mark — a trace
  11. suit — to fit
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. suit — in cards
  14. ball — a dance
  15. squash — the sport
  16. saw — the tool
  17. object — a thing
  18. ball — a great time
  19. suit — clothes
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. object — to protest
  24. fan — a supporter

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