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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. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. bat — the animal
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. present — a gift
  5. tear — from crying
  6. present — the time now
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. tear — from crying
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. bear — the animal
  11. roll — a list
  12. present — there
  13. tear — to rip
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. roll — a cake
  18. pound — a weight
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. bear — the animal

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