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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. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. spring — of water
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. squash — to crush
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. spring — the season
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. fine — all right
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. spring — a coil
  13. band — a music group
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. lean — thin
  19. lean — to bend
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. squash — the sport
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. band — a ring

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