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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 116 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. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. court — of a king
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. mark — a grade
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. court — for sport
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. sharp — clever
  13. snap — to click
  14. saw — the tool
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. mark — a trace
  20. saw — the tool
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. court — of law

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