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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. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. lie — to recline
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. pitch — completely
  10. tube — a container
  11. bank — for money
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. tube — the underground
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. rush — hurry
  19. bank — of a river
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. bank — for money
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. chair — a leader
  24. hide — to keep secret

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