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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. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. root — the cause
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. tear — from crying
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. tear — from crying
  9. wake — a trail
  10. root — of a plant
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. bulb — for light
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. bulb — for light
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. root — of a word
  21. sharp — clever
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. tear — to rip
  24. mouse — the animal

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