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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. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. present — there
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. rush — hurry
  7. land — ground
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. craft — boats
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. lean — to bend
  13. present — a gift
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. present — the time now
  16. lean — thin
  17. craft — a skill
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. dip — to sink
  21. land — to come down
  22. land — a country
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. leaves — of a tree

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