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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. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. suit — clothes
  4. suit — to fit
  5. spring — a coil
  6. branch — a division
  7. suit — in cards
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. land — ground
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. land — to come down
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. bore — to tire
  16. bore — to drill
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. land — a country
  20. squash — the sport
  21. spring — the season
  22. squash — to crush
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. spring — of water

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