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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. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. stem — to come from
  7. sharp — clever
  8. staff — a stick
  9. craft — boats
  10. mug — a cup
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. vault — a safe
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. mug — a face
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. staff — employees
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. craft — a skill
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. staff — employees
  24. mug — to rob

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