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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 seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. board — a committee
  5. ground — a position
  6. rash — a series
  7. rest — what's left
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. rash — hasty
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. craft — boats
  12. board — to get on
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. ground — crushed
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. rest — a break
  20. rest — what's left
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. ground — the earth
  23. dip — to sink
  24. craft — a skill

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