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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. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. key — the most important part
  4. rash — a series
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. spell — a short time
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. key — in music
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. root — of a plant
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. rash — hasty
  17. spell — magic
  18. key — for a lock
  19. root — the cause
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. spell — letters
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. root — of a word

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