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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. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. dip — to sink
  4. sharp — clever
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. saw — the tool
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. staff — a stick
  12. saw — the tool
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. shower — rain
  15. shower — to wash
  16. staff — employees
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. suit — in cards
  19. staff — employees
  20. suit — to fit
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. ball — a great time
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. suit — clothes

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