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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. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. face — part of the head
  3. file — a line of people
  4. suit — to fit
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. face — to confront
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. swing — in golf
  10. face — to point toward
  11. squash — to crush
  12. suit — clothes
  13. squash — the sport
  14. suit — in cards
  15. scale — size or range
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. file — a tool
  18. swing — music
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. file — a document
  21. scale — in music
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. swing — to play on
  24. squash — the vegetable

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