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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. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. wind — moving air
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. charge — a price
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. wind — moving air
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. field — farmland
  17. fine — high quality
  18. charge — electricity
  19. field — a subject
  20. charge — in control
  21. fine — all right
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. field — for sport
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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