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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. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. tear — from crying
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. wind — moving air
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. mate — to breed
  7. lean — to bend
  8. pit — in a race
  9. tear — to rip
  10. lean — thin
  11. mate — a partner
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. pit — a hole
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. wind — moving air
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. tear — from crying
  18. mark — a grade
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. mate — a friend
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. mark — a trace

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