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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. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  24. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. wound — an injury
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. cue — a signal
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. clip — to cut
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. cue — for pool
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. wound — an injury
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. cue — a hint
  18. foot — a measure
  19. bulb — for light
  20. bulb — for light
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. clip — for paper
  24. clip — a video

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