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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. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. current — of water
  6. rule — government
  7. face — to confront
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. current — electric
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. rule — a law
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. face — part of the head
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. can — a tin
  19. can — a tin
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. can — to be able to
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. face — to point toward
  24. current — happening now

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