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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 124 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. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — the most admired
  2. tube — a container
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. spell — magic
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. tube — the underground
  9. toast — bread
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. spell — letters
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. wound — an injury
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. bark — to shout
  22. wound — an injury
  23. spell — a short time
  24. fan — a supporter

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