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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. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. squash — to crush
  3. dip — to sink
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. net — after costs
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. lie — to recline
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. march — the month
  12. net — for catching
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. net — in sport
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. squash — the sport
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. march — music
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. march — the month

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