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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 am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. bass — the fish
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. wound — an injury
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. firm — steady
  7. firm — a company
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. wound — an injury
  15. snap — to click
  16. spell — letters
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. firm — decided
  21. spell — magic
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. bass — low music
  24. spell — a short time

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