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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 124 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. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  4. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  5. The water is too ________________.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. cold — an illness
  4. cold — the Cold War
  5. cold — not warm
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. craft — a skill
  9. charge — electricity
  10. charge — a price
  11. pit — in a race
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. craft — boats
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. pit — a hole
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. charge — in control
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. bear — the animal
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. bear — the animal

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