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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. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. bore — to tire
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. bore — to drill
  18. rash — hasty
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. rash — a series
  23. bat — the animal
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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