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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. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. spell — a short time
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. spell — letters
  6. tube — the underground
  7. last — final
  8. spell — magic
  9. charge — in control
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. last — finally
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. charge — a price
  16. charge — electricity
  17. scale — size or range
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. tube — a container
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. scale — in music
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. last — to go on
  24. tube — in a tire

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