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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. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. rest — what's left
  4. chest — a box
  5. chest — of your body
  6. suit — to fit
  7. suit — in cards
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. suit — clothes
  10. face — to confront
  11. rest — what's left
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. face — part of the head
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. chest — of your body
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. squash — the sport
  21. rest — a break
  22. face — to point toward
  23. dip — to sink
  24. squash — to crush

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