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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. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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. fine — all right
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. lean — to bend
  8. rule — government
  9. hand — help
  10. lean — thin
  11. chest — of your body
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. chest — a box
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. rule — a law
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. chest — of your body
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. fine — high quality
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. hand — in cards

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