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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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. can — to be able to
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. prune — to trim
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. cap — a lid
  7. kid — child
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. kid — to tease
  14. cap — of ice
  15. can — a tin
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. cap — a hat
  19. prune — to trim
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. can — a tin
  24. perch — the fish

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