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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. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  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. mouse — the animal
  3. drill — army training
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. bank — of a river
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. wound — an injury
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. wound — an injury
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. bank — for money
  13. drill — a practice
  14. tube — the underground
  15. tube — a container
  16. bank — for money
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. drill — the tool
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. coach — a trainer
  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