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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. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. rush — hurry
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. object — to protest
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. object — a thing
  7. bass — the fish
  8. mug — a cup
  9. mug — a face
  10. board — to get on
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. bass — low music
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. board — a committee
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. mug — to rob
  24. object — an aim

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