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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. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. band — a ring
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. rule — government
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. bank — of a river
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. bank — for money
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. fine — all right
  16. pop — soda
  17. pop — to visit
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. rule — a law
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. pop — music
  22. fine — high quality
  23. bank — for money
  24. band — a music group

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