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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.

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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. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. bore — to tire
  4. cap — of ice
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. bore — to drill
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. net — for catching
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. net — in sport
  11. net — after costs
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. cap — a lid
  14. hand — in cards
  15. hand — help
  16. perch — the fish
  17. stock — goods
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. cap — a hat
  24. stock — shares

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