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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. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. stem — to come from
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. ground — the earth
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. net — in sport
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. lie — to recline
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. net — after costs
  17. ground — a position
  18. mark — a grade
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. net — for catching
  21. ground — crushed
  22. mark — a trace
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. bowl — a dish

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