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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. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  8. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. firm — decided
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. chest — of your body
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. charge — electricity
  7. chest — of your body
  8. chest — a box
  9. pop — soda
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. charge — in control
  12. land — to come down
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. charge — a price
  15. land — a country
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. firm — steady
  19. land — ground
  20. pop — music
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. pop — to visit
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. firm — a company

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