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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. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. present — there
  4. craft — boats
  5. present — a gift
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. shower — rain
  8. rash — hasty
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. shower — to wash
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. present — the time now
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. season — in sport
  20. season — of the year
  21. craft — a skill
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. rash — a series

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