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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. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. mug — a cup
  4. row — to paddle
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. vault — a safe
  7. band — a ring
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. band — a music group
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. fork — in a road
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. mug — a face
  21. row — a line
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. mug — to rob
  24. mouse — the animal

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