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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. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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. lash — to lash out
  4. spring — of water
  5. object — to protest
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. pit — in a race
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. present — there
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. present — the time now
  13. spring — the season
  14. object — an aim
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. shower — to wash
  17. present — a gift
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. bore — to drill
  20. pit — a hole
  21. bore — to tire
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. object — a thing
  24. shower — rain

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