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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. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. fine — high quality
  6. race — the arms race
  7. wake — a trail
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. race — humankind
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. stock — goods
  13. season — in sport
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. fine — all right
  16. race — a contest
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. stock — shares
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. foot — a measure
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. season — of the year

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