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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. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. craft — a skill
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. craft — boats
  7. shower — rain
  8. club — for golf
  9. club — for dancing
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. content — the amount
  12. cap — a hat
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. cap — of ice
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. cap — a lid
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. shower — to wash
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. club — a group
  23. content — happy
  24. snap — to click

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