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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. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. board — a committee
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. root — of a word
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. board — to get on
  10. lean — to bend
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. dip — to sink
  15. root — of a plant
  16. root — the cause
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. content — happy
  19. lean — thin
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. content — the amount
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. dip — a sauce

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