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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. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. pop — music
  6. race — the arms race
  7. face — part of the head
  8. tear — from crying
  9. pop — soda
  10. face — to confront
  11. tear — to rip
  12. race — humankind
  13. pop — to visit
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. tear — from crying
  16. race — a contest
  17. face — to point toward
  18. ruler — a monarch

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