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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. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. swing — in golf
  3. ball — a dance
  4. swing — music
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. swing — to play on
  7. mug — a cup
  8. lean — thin
  9. saw — the tool
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. lean — to bend
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. saw — the tool
  14. last — finally
  15. last — to go on
  16. cap — of ice
  17. mug — a face
  18. cap — a hat
  19. mug — to rob
  20. ball — a great time
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. cap — a lid
  24. last — final

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