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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. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. craft — boats
  4. object — a thing
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. craft — a skill
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. object — to protest
  12. bass — low music
  13. bass — the fish
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. prune — to trim
  17. kid — to tease
  18. object — an aim
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. prune — to trim
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. kid — child
  24. patient — a sick person

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