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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. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. suit — in cards
  3. mug — a cup
  4. bore — to tire
  5. chest — of your body
  6. toast — bread
  7. mug — to rob
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. mug — a face
  12. wind — moving air
  13. chest — a box
  14. suit — to fit
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. scale — in music
  17. suit — clothes
  18. wind — moving air
  19. scale — size or range
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. chest — of your body
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. bore — to drill

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