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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 120 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. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  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. fan — to cool the air
  2. hand — in cards
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. mark — a trace
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. bank — for money
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. bank — for money
  9. ground — a position
  10. mark — a grade
  11. bank — of a river
  12. ground — crushed
  13. wind — moving air
  14. ground — the earth
  15. scale — in music
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. hand — help
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. wind — moving air
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. scale — size or range
  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