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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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  5. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. can — to be able to
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. chest — of your body
  5. chest — a box
  6. can — a tin
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. ball — a great time
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. ball — a dance
  11. degree — from a university
  12. chest — of your body
  13. degree — an amount
  14. kick — in football
  15. can — a tin
  16. degree — temperature
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. kick — a thrill

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