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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. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. cap — a hat
  4. hand — in cards
  5. hand — help
  6. row — a line
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. cap — of ice
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. chip — for betting
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. squash — to crush
  15. vault — a safe
  16. chip — to eat
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. row — to paddle
  20. stem — to come from
  21. squash — the sport
  22. cap — a lid
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. row — a quarrel

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