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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. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. wind — moving air
  4. wind — moving air
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. season — in sport
  9. mug — a cup
  10. clip — a video
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. mug — to rob
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. mug — a face
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. clip — to cut
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. season — of the year
  22. clip — for paper
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. cabinet — ministers

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