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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. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. Have you settled on a ________________?
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  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. bay — a part of the sea
  3. spell — letters
  4. spell — a short time
  5. bore — to tire
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. chest — a box
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. craft — boats
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. bulb — for light
  12. bulb — for light
  13. bore — to drill
  14. date — the fruit
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. craft — a skill
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. chest — of your body
  23. chest — of your body
  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