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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 120 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. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. degree — an amount
  5. bear — the animal
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. pit — a hole
  15. degree — from a university
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. pit — in a race
  18. bear — the animal
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. degree — temperature
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. racket — for tennis

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