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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. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. rule — a law
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. rule — government
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. shower — rain
  10. rash — hasty
  11. suit — clothes
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. shower — to wash
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. rash — a series
  18. sharp — clever
  19. suit — to fit
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. suit — in cards

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