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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. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. cap — of ice
  4. present — there
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. present — a gift
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. cap — a lid
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. race — humankind
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. rock — music
  13. wound — an injury
  14. bound — obliged
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. wound — an injury
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. present — the time now
  20. bound — certain
  21. bound — tied together
  22. race — the arms race
  23. race — a contest
  24. cap — a hat

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