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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 120 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 am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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. pitcher — in baseball
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. hand — in cards
  11. net — in sport
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. net — after costs
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. mark — a trace
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. net — for catching
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. hand — help
  24. mark — a grade

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