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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. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. clip — a video
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. swing — in golf
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. clip — to cut
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. suit — clothes
  11. ball — a dance
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. suit — in cards
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. lean — to bend
  16. ball — a great time
  17. suit — to fit
  18. swing — to play on
  19. sharp — clever
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. swing — music
  22. clip — for paper
  23. lean — thin
  24. pitcher — a jug

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