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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. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. court — of law
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. bank — of a river
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. bank — for money
  9. bank — for money
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. dip — to sink
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. court — for sport
  16. court — of a king
  17. wind — moving air
  18. wake — a trail
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. rush — hurry
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. wind — moving air
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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