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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. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. suit — in cards
  7. bore — to tire
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. can — to be able to
  10. can — a tin
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. suit — to fit
  13. spring — of water
  14. land — to come down
  15. can — a tin
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. suit — clothes
  18. scale — in music
  19. land — a country
  20. bore — to drill
  21. spring — the season
  22. spring — a coil
  23. land — ground
  24. scale — size or range

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