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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. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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. bank — of a river
  4. pit — in a race
  5. craft — boats
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. cap — of ice
  8. drill — a practice
  9. craft — a skill
  10. cap — a lid
  11. pit — a hole
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. sharp — clever
  14. bank — for money
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. cap — a hat
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. bank — for money
  20. drill — army training
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. drill — the tool
  24. lie — to recline

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