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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. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. march — the month
  3. hand — in cards
  4. fall — the season
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. deal — to handle
  7. fall — to drop
  8. fall — to drop
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. march — music
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. bore — to tire
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. bore — to drill
  20. march — the month
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. hand — help

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