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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. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. craft — a skill
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. shower — to wash
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. cue — a hint
  9. shower — rain
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. perch — the fish
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. rash — a series
  14. craft — boats
  15. land — ground
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. land — a country
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. land — to come down
  21. cue — for pool
  22. cue — a signal
  23. rash — hasty
  24. calf — a young animal

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