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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. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. fine — all right
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. swing — in golf
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. shower — to wash
  9. shower — rain
  10. fine — high quality
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. bear — the animal
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. swing — to play on
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. suit — to fit
  19. suit — clothes
  20. suit — in cards
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. deal — to handle
  23. swing — music
  24. bear — the animal

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