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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. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. drill — a practice
  5. can — to be able to
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. can — a tin
  11. fine — high quality
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. drill — the tool
  14. lie — to recline
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. drill — army training
  17. court — for sport
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. court — of law
  20. fine — all right
  21. branch — a division
  22. can — a tin
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. court — of a king

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