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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 120 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. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. fork — in a road
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. cell — a phone
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. lie — to recline
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. shower — rain
  15. shower — to wash
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. cell — in biology

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