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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. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. race — the arms race
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. track — a path
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. bulb — for light
  10. cell — in biology
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. bulb — for light
  13. race — a contest
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. track — a song
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. cell — a phone
  20. track — to keep track
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. race — humankind
  24. coach — a trainer

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