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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. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. craft — boats
  3. mark — a grade
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. mark — a trace
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. kick — in football
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. rush — hurry
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. craft — a skill
  18. perch — the fish
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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