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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 124 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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. fall — the season
  6. bank — of a river
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. rash — hasty
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. rash — a series
  12. game — a match
  13. game — wild animals
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. bank — for money
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. bank — for money
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. fall — to drop
  20. fall — to drop
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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