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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. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. rest — a break
  3. object — to protest
  4. perch — the fish
  5. rest — what's left
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. object — a thing
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. rest — what's left
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. wound — an injury
  18. object — an aim
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. wound — an injury
  21. lie — to recline
  22. snap — to click
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. cabinet — ministers

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