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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. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. mate — to breed
  4. race — the arms race
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. mate — a partner
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. sharp — clever
  13. dip — to sink
  14. bear — the animal
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. season — in sport
  17. mate — a friend
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. race — humankind
  20. bear — the animal
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. season — of the year
  23. race — a contest
  24. ruler — for measuring

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