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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. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. race — the arms race
  4. cue — a signal
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. spell — magic
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. spell — letters
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. cue — a hint
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. chair — a leader
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. rush — hurry
  18. race — humankind
  19. spell — a short time
  20. cue — for pool
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. fork — in a road
  24. race — a contest

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