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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. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. fine — all right
  3. ball — a dance
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. fine — high quality
  16. wind — moving air
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. wind — moving air
  19. rush — hurry
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. fan — a supporter

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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