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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 120 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. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. rest — what's left
  3. cue — a hint
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. face — to point toward
  6. cue — a signal
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. hand — in cards
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. face — to confront
  13. rest — a break
  14. hand — help
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. face — part of the head
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. rest — what's left
  19. lie — to recline
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. cue — for pool
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. fork — in a road

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