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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: fan · rash · rock · cell · cold · cap · fine · staff

  1. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. The water is too ________________.
  20. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. rash — hasty
  5. staff — employees
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. cap — of ice
  8. rock — music
  9. cold — the Cold War
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. rock — a stone
  12. cell — in biology
  13. staff — a stick
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. rash — a series
  17. fine — high quality
  18. cell — a phone
  19. cold — not warm
  20. cold — an illness
  21. fine — all right
  22. cap — a lid
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. cap — a hat

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