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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. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. vault — a safe
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. chip — for betting
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. dip — to sink
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. stock — goods
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. chip — to eat
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. stock — shares
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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