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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. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. bank — for money
  3. craft — boats
  4. last — to go on
  5. bank — for money
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. bank — of a river
  8. craft — a skill
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. last — finally
  11. fine — high quality
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. scale — size or range
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. rush — hurry
  20. fine — all right
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. last — final
  23. scale — in music
  24. fan — a supporter

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