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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 116 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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. spell — letters
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. spell — magic
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. dip — to sink
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. hand — help
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. season — of the year
  21. spell — a short time
  22. hand — in cards
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. fan — a supporter

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