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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 assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  12. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. fine — all right
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. mine — for digging
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. present — the time now
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. tear — from crying
  12. tear — from crying
  13. present — a gift
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. fine — high quality
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. present — there
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. tear — to rip
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. fan — a supporter

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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