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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. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. bear — the animal
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. bear — the animal
  6. kid — child
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. kid — to tease
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. spell — a short time
  16. current — of water
  17. spell — letters
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. current — electric
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. current — happening now
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  24. spell — magic

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