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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. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. staff — employees
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. race — humankind
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. rest — what's left
  8. race — the arms race
  9. staff — employees
  10. saw — the tool
  11. plane — a tool
  12. rest — what's left
  13. saw — the tool
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. staff — a stick
  16. race — a contest
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. rest — a break

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