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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. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. Have you settled on a ________________?
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. date — the fruit
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. rash — hasty
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. stand — to bear
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. rash — a series
  11. rush — hurry
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. wound — an injury
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. sharp — clever
  24. wound — an injury

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