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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 refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. mug — a cup
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. mug — a face
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. land — ground
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. rest — what's left
  12. land — a country
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. mug — to rob
  15. land — to come down
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. rest — what's left
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. rest — a break
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. jam — a tight spot

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