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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. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. prune — to trim
  6. season — in sport
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. row — a line
  11. season — of the year
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. prune — to trim
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. dip — to sink
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. row — to paddle
  22. squash — to crush
  23. squash — the sport
  24. dip — to dunk

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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