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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. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. saw — the tool
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. bound — certain
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. bound — obliged
  9. cap — a hat
  10. bound — tied together
  11. cap — of ice
  12. spell — magic
  13. spell — a short time
  14. wound — an injury
  15. root — of a plant
  16. fine — all right
  17. fine — high quality
  18. root — of a word
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. spell — letters
  21. saw — the tool
  22. root — the cause
  23. wound — an injury
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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