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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. That must've been a ________________.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. deal — to handle
  6. game — a match
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. branch — a division
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. rash — a series
  11. rush — hurry
  12. mug — a face
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. rash — hasty
  15. mug — to rob
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. mug — a cup
  19. rock — music
  20. game — wild animals
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. rock — a stone

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