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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. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. wound — an injury
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. lie — to recline
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. hand — help
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. wound — an injury
  13. pit — in a race
  14. pit — a hole
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. hand — in cards
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. bass — the fish
  20. bass — low music
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. racket — for tennis

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