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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 met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. suit — clothes
  4. mine — for digging
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. wind — moving air
  9. wind — moving air
  10. court — of a king
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. suit — to fit
  13. cue — a hint
  14. cue — a signal
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. suit — in cards
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. court — for sport
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. court — of law
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. cue — for pool
  24. wind — to turn a key

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