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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. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. saw — the tool
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. mug — a cup
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. mug — a face
  16. stand — to bear
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. mug — to rob
  20. saw — the tool
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. sharp — clever

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