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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 120 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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. last — finally
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. kick — in football
  8. rest — what's left
  9. pit — a hole
  10. rest — a break
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. pit — in a race
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. rest — what's left
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. last — final
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. craft — a skill
  22. craft — boats
  23. last — to go on
  24. fan — to cool the air

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