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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 speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. wake — a trail
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. rock — a stone
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. cap — of ice
  8. mark — a trace
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. rock — music
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. cap — a lid
  14. mark — a grade
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. kid — child
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. kid — to tease
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. cap — a hat
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. rock — to move gently

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