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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. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. bank — of a river
  5. toast — bread
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. tube — the underground
  9. tube — a container
  10. toast — a drink to someone
  11. bank — for money
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. bank — for money
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. saw — the tool
  20. kick — in football
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. saw — the tool
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. fan — to cool the air

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