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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. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. bear — the animal
  3. club — for dancing
  4. lean — to bend
  5. face — part of the head
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. club — a group
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. degree — temperature
  12. season — in sport
  13. season — of the year
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. face — to confront
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. face — to point toward
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. lean — thin
  21. bear — the animal
  22. degree — from a university
  23. club — for golf
  24. degree — an amount

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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