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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. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. face — to point toward
  3. saw — the tool
  4. stem — to come from
  5. bass — the fish
  6. can — to be able to
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. can — a tin
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. root — the cause
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. ball — a great time
  13. saw — the tool
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. root — of a word
  16. bass — low music
  17. ball — a dance
  18. can — a tin
  19. root — of a plant
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. face — to confront
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. face — part of the head

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