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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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. perch — the fish
  4. cap — of ice
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. cap — a hat
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. kid — child
  11. last — finally
  12. last — to go on
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. pop — soda
  15. cap — a lid
  16. kid — to tease
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. last — final
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. pop — music
  23. pop — to visit
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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