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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. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. spell — magic
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. spell — a short time
  7. net — for catching
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. can — a tin
  10. season — in sport
  11. wake — a trail
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. spell — letters
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. rule — government
  16. can — a tin
  17. net — after costs
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. can — to be able to
  20. rule — a law
  21. season — of the year
  22. chest — of your body
  23. chest — of your body
  24. net — in sport

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