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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. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. rock — a stone
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. wound — an injury
  5. drill — army training
  6. drill — a practice
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. rock — music
  9. drill — the tool
  10. wound — an injury
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. mouse — the animal

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