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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 116 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 ________________ took off on time.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. charge — a price
  4. game — a match
  5. charge — electricity
  6. charge — in control
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. game — wild animals
  9. shower — rain
  10. lie — to recline
  11. plane — a tool
  12. shower — to wash
  13. wound — an injury
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. staff — employees
  18. wound — an injury
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. staff — a stick
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. staff — employees
  24. fan — a supporter

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