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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. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. net — in sport
  3. bank — for money
  4. face — part of the head
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. bank — of a river
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. bank — for money
  10. net — for catching
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. face — to point toward
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. kid — to tease
  20. wax — to grow
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. face — to confront
  23. kid — child
  24. net — after costs

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