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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 124 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. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. foot — a measure
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. fine — high quality
  7. rash — hasty
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. fine — all right
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. board — to get on
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. fork — in a road
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. rash — a series
  20. stem — to come from
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. board — a committee
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. calf — of the leg

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