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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. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. hand — help
  6. bat — the animal
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. dip — to sink
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. chip — for betting
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. hand — in cards
  22. rush — hurry
  23. chip — to eat
  24. rush — a thrill

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