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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. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. ground — a position
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. stand — to bear
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. perch — the fish
  10. ground — crushed
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. ground — the earth
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. deal — to handle
  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