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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. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. craft — a skill
  3. pit — a hole
  4. snap — to click
  5. lie — to recline
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. mate — a partner
  8. craft — boats
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. mate — a friend
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. wind — moving air
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. mate — to breed
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. wind — moving air
  22. pit — in a race
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. trunk — of a car

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