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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. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  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. rash — a series
  2. hand — in cards
  3. object — to protest
  4. hand — help
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. rash — hasty
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. game — a match
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. object — a thing
  17. game — wild animals
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. object — an aim
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. rush — hurry
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. ruler — for measuring
  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