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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. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. wound — an injury
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. lie — to recline
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. rash — hasty
  7. rash — a series
  8. net — in sport
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. wound — an injury
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. net — after costs
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. net — for catching
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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