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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. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. content — happy
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. content — the amount
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. pound — a weight
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. branch — a division
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. vault — a safe
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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