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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. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. wind — moving air
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. fine — all right
  8. dip — to sink
  9. chair — a leader
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. wind — moving air
  12. saw — the tool
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. saw — the tool
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. fine — high quality
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. racket — a loud noise

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