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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. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. suit — to fit
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. net — for catching
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. net — in sport
  7. suit — in cards
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. degree — an amount
  10. suit — clothes
  11. squash — to crush
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. degree — from a university
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. degree — temperature
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. kid — to tease
  19. net — after costs
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. kid — child
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. squash — the sport

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