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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. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. rest — a break
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. net — for catching
  6. rest — what's left
  7. spring — a coil
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. spring — of water
  12. date — the fruit
  13. spring — the season
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. charge — in control
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. rest — what's left
  19. charge — electricity
  20. net — in sport
  21. net — after costs
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. fan — a supporter

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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