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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. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. branch — a division
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. dip — to sink
  5. perch — the fish
  6. mine — for digging
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. spell — letters
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. board — a committee
  15. board — to get on
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. spell — magic
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. spell — a short time

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