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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. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. fine — all right
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. land — a country
  6. bark — to shout
  7. craft — boats
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. present — there
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. craft — a skill
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. land — ground
  15. fine — high quality
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. dip — to sink
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. present — the time now
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. land — to come down
  24. present — a gift

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