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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. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. field — farmland
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. can — a tin
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. degree — temperature
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. land — a country
  13. degree — an amount
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. can — to be able to
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. land — ground
  18. field — a subject
  19. degree — from a university
  20. field — for sport
  21. rush — hurry
  22. land — to come down
  23. can — a tin
  24. fan — a supporter

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