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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. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. We're on a ________________ here.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. roll — a list
  5. wind — moving air
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. can — a tin
  9. roll — a cake
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. spell — magic
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. can — a tin
  14. roll — on a roll
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. wind — moving air
  17. can — to be able to
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. spell — a short time
  21. spell — letters
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. racket — for tennis

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