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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. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. bound — certain
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. spring — the season
  5. chip — for betting
  6. spring — of water
  7. bound — tied together
  8. clip — a video
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. clip — to cut
  11. chip — to eat
  12. bound — obliged
  13. spring — a coil
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. march — the month
  18. march — music
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. clip — for paper
  24. march — the month

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