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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. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. wind — moving air
  5. can — a tin
  6. pound — a weight
  7. vault — a safe
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. can — a tin
  12. spell — a short time
  13. spell — letters
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. lie — to recline
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. can — to be able to
  18. spell — magic
  19. wind — moving air
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. pound — to hit hard

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