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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. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. scale — size or range
  3. suit — clothes
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. branch — a division
  7. shower — to wash
  8. suit — in cards
  9. chest — of your body
  10. toast — bread
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. shower — rain
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. chest — of your body
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. chest — a box
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. suit — to fit
  22. scale — in music
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. jam — in traffic

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