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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. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. bear — the animal
  5. craft — boats
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. pit — a hole
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. game — a match
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. craft — a skill
  17. mine — for digging
  18. pit — in a race
  19. game — wild animals
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. coach — a trainer

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