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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 120 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. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. wound — an injury
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. rash — a series
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. lean — to bend
  9. mark — a trace
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. wound — an injury
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. lean — thin
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. craft — a skill
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. craft — boats
  22. rash — hasty
  23. mark — a grade
  24. craft — a handicraft

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