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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. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. hand — help
  3. hand — in cards
  4. file — a document
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. can — a tin
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. saw — the tool
  11. stand — to bear
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. ground — a position
  14. saw — the tool
  15. ground — the earth
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. can — to be able to
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. file — a tool
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. can — a tin
  23. file — a line of people
  24. ground — crushed

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