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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 124 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. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. object — a thing
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. roll — a cake
  5. season — of the year
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. roll — a list
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. rest — what's left
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. object — an aim
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. rest — what's left
  15. wake — a trail
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. object — to protest
  18. season — in sport
  19. rest — a break
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. kick — in football
  24. racket — for tennis

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