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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 120 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. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. lean — to bend
  3. bound — certain
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. cap — of ice
  7. ball — a great time
  8. degree — temperature
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. cap — a hat
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. bound — tied together
  13. cap — a lid
  14. craft — boats
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. degree — from a university
  17. bound — obliged
  18. craft — a skill
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. lean — thin
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. degree — an amount
  24. ball — a dance

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