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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. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. dip — to sink
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. game — wild animals
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. scale — size or range
  15. game — a match
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. bore — to tire
  19. scale — in music
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. bore — to drill
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. snap — to click

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