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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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. kick — in football
  7. can — a tin
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. bear — the animal
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. rush — hurry
  17. can — to be able to
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. bear — the animal
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. can — a tin

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