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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. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. season — of the year
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. race — the arms race
  5. race — humankind
  6. bass — low music
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. chip — for betting
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. race — a contest
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. wax — to grow
  13. chip — to eat
  14. mug — a face
  15. bass — the fish
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. mug — a cup
  19. mug — to rob
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. season — in sport
  24. wax — for sculpting

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