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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. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. season — in sport
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. band — a music group
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. band — a ring
  12. snap — to click
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. season — of the year
  18. snap — to speak sharply

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