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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 120 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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. can — to be able to
  3. mate — a friend
  4. branch — a division
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. can — a tin
  7. face — to confront
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. row — to paddle
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. mate — a partner
  13. face — to point toward
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. row — a line
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. mate — to breed
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. fork — in a road
  21. can — a tin
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. face — part of the head
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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