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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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Word bank
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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. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. face — part of the head
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. cue — a hint
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. face — to confront
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. game — wild animals
  9. game — a match
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. key — for a lock
  14. prune — to trim
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. prune — to trim
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. face — to point toward
  20. key — the most important part
  21. cue — a signal
  22. key — in music
  23. cue — for pool
  24. patient — a sick person

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