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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. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. game — wild animals
  4. chest — of your body
  5. game — a match
  6. face — to confront
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. face — part of the head
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. row — a line
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. chest — of your body
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. row — to paddle
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. chest — a box
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. face — to point toward
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. fan — to cool the air

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