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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. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  8. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. current — happening now
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. chest — of your body
  8. chest — of your body
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. chest — a box
  14. ground — a position
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. dip — to sink
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. ground — crushed
  20. ground — the earth
  21. current — electric
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. current — of water
  24. fan — to cool the air

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