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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. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. kid — child
  4. kid — to tease
  5. chip — to eat
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. last — finally
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. last — to go on
  10. bulb — for light
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. spring — a coil
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. bulb — for light
  18. spring — of water
  19. spring — the season
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. chip — for betting
  22. fine — all right
  23. last — final
  24. fan — a supporter

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