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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. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. pop — music
  3. pop — soda
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. branch — a division
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. charge — electricity
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. cap — a lid
  11. charge — in control
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. cap — a hat
  14. stand — to bear
  15. cap — of ice
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. hand — help
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. pop — to visit
  21. charge — a price
  22. hand — in cards
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. calf — of the leg

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