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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. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. suit — to fit
  4. spell — letters
  5. firm — steady
  6. rest — what's left
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. suit — in cards
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. firm — decided
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. firm — a company
  13. snap — to click
  14. suit — clothes
  15. rest — a break
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. spell — a short time
  18. rest — what's left
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. spell — magic
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. hand — in cards
  23. hand — help
  24. mouse — the animal

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