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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. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. Hold the papers together with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. can — a tin
  6. can — a tin
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. rock — a stone
  12. clip — a video
  13. rock — music
  14. tube — a container
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. clip — to cut
  17. can — to be able to
  18. spring — a coil
  19. spring — of water
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. spring — the season
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. tube — the underground
  24. clip — for paper

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