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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. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. bear — the animal
  3. spell — magic
  4. rock — a stone
  5. spell — letters
  6. snap — to click
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. rock — music
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. pop — to visit
  15. spell — a short time
  16. hand — help
  17. bear — the animal
  18. root — the cause
  19. root — of a word
  20. pop — soda
  21. hand — in cards
  22. pop — music
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. root — of a plant

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