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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. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. craft — boats
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. fine — all right
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. craft — a skill
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. fine — high quality
  13. tube — a container
  14. spring — a coil
  15. spring — the season
  16. dip — to sink
  17. can — a tin
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. can — a tin
  21. tube — the underground
  22. can — to be able to
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. spring — of water

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