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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. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. object — an aim
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. mine — for digging
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. deal — to handle
  11. object — a thing
  12. drill — the tool
  13. shower — rain
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. shower — to wash
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. drill — army training
  19. suit — clothes
  20. object — to protest
  21. suit — to fit
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. suit — in cards
  24. drill — a practice

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