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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. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. spring — a coil
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. tube — a container
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. current — happening now
  9. squash — to crush
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. current — of water
  13. tube — the underground
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. spring — of water
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. rash — a series
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. current — electric
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. rash — hasty
  23. squash — the sport
  24. spring — the season

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