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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. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. shower — to wash
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. rule — a law
  5. suit — to fit
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. bark — to shout
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. rule — government
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. suit — clothes
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. shower — rain
  16. bore — to tire
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. suit — in cards
  20. bore — to drill
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. plane — a tool

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