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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. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. shower — to wash
  3. pit — a hole
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. pit — in a race
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. shower — rain
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. coach — pulled by horses

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