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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. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. bass — the fish
  4. cell — in biology
  5. bass — low music
  6. cap — a hat
  7. cap — of ice
  8. tear — to rip
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. wind — moving air
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. tear — from crying
  18. wind — moving air
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. cap — a lid
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. tear — from crying
  24. cell — a phone

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