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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. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. mug — to rob
  4. mate — a friend
  5. shower — rain
  6. shower — to wash
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. race — the arms race
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. branch — a division
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. mate — a partner
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. race — a contest
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. race — humankind
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. mug — a cup
  20. mate — to breed
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. mug — a face
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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