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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. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. We're on a ________________ here.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  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 — a supporter
  2. cue — a signal
  3. roll — a cake
  4. rule — a law
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. press — a publisher
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. content — the amount
  9. content — happy
  10. press — newspapers
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. shower — to wash
  13. roll — a list
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. shower — rain
  16. press — to push
  17. rule — government
  18. cue — for pool
  19. rash — hasty
  20. rash — a series
  21. roll — on a roll
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. cue — a hint
  24. fan — a supporter

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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