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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. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. He was locked up in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. fork — in a road
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. swing — music
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. tear — from crying
  8. mug — a cup
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. mug — to rob
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. swing — to play on
  13. cell — in biology
  14. mug — a face
  15. cell — a phone
  16. swing — in golf
  17. vault — a safe
  18. tear — to rip
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. mark — a grade
  22. mark — a trace
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. cell — in a prison

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