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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. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. firm — steady
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. clip — for paper
  7. deal — to handle
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. mate — a partner
  10. mate — a friend
  11. clip — to cut
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. clip — a video
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. firm — decided
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. plane — a tool
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. firm — a company
  24. mate — to breed

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