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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. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. We're on a ________________ here.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  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. bear — the animal
  3. roll — on a roll
  4. staff — employees
  5. staff — employees
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. fine — high quality
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. roll — a cake
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. wake — a trail
  17. staff — a stick
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. fine — all right
  20. roll — a list
  21. craft — boats
  22. craft — a skill
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  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