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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. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. scale — in music
  6. firm — a company
  7. spell — a short time
  8. spell — letters
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. stem — to come from
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. firm — decided
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. scale — size or range
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. firm — steady
  18. spell — magic
  19. rock — music
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. rock — a stone
  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