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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 116 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 am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  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 — a supporter
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. rash — a series
  5. kid — to tease
  6. ball — a great time
  7. mark — a grade
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. pound — a weight
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. ball — a dance
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. mark — a trace
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. bank — for money
  19. rash — hasty
  20. bank — for money
  21. kid — child
  22. bank — of a river
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  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