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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. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. drill — a practice
  4. spell — letters
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. lie — to recline
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. drill — army training
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. spell — magic
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. shower — rain
  21. shower — to wash
  22. spell — a short time
  23. stem — to come from
  24. drill — the tool

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