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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. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. ball — a great time
  5. ball — a dance
  6. cell — in biology
  7. cell — a phone
  8. snap — to click
  9. net — for catching
  10. net — in sport
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. branch — a division
  16. foot — a measure
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. net — after costs
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. cap — a hat
  22. cap — of ice
  23. cell — in a prison
  24. cap — a lid

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