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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. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. firm — steady
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. squash — the sport
  6. rest — what's left
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. press — newspapers
  9. wake — a trail
  10. file — a document
  11. file — a tool
  12. rest — a break
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. file — a line of people
  15. firm — a company
  16. press — to push
  17. press — a publisher
  18. dip — to sink
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. rest — what's left
  22. firm — decided
  23. squash — to crush
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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