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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 120 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. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. stand — to bear
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. present — a gift
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. dip — to sink
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. cap — a hat
  9. saw — the tool
  10. saw — the tool
  11. bass — low music
  12. cap — of ice
  13. bass — the fish
  14. race — the arms race
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. race — a contest
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. present — there
  20. cap — a lid
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. present — the time now
  23. race — humankind
  24. stand — for spectators

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