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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. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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 great time
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. pop — soda
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. object — to protest
  8. pop — music
  9. club — a group
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. fall — the season
  14. object — a thing
  15. club — for golf
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. fall — to drop
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. fall — to drop
  20. object — an aim
  21. club — for dancing
  22. ball — a dance
  23. pop — to visit
  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