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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. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. ground — the earth
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. rush — hurry
  10. rash — a series
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. ground — a position
  13. ground — crushed
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. chair — a leader
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. rash — hasty
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. cabinet — ministers

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