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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. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  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. fan — a supporter
  3. kid — to tease
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. board — to get on
  15. kid — child
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. season — in sport
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. board — a committee
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. season — of the year
  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