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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. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. fine — high quality
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. stand — to bear
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. saw — the tool
  13. march — the month
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. saw — the tool
  16. dip — to sink
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. march — the month
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. fine — all right
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. snap — to click

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