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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. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. kid — to tease
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. wound — an injury
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. craft — a skill
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. land — a country
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. pop — music
  11. pop — to visit
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. mate — to breed
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. kid — child
  17. land — to come down
  18. land — ground
  19. mate — a friend
  20. mate — a partner
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. wound — an injury
  23. craft — boats
  24. fan — a supporter

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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