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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 116 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. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. saw — the tool
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. saw — the tool
  9. wind — moving air
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. stock — goods
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. wind — moving air
  15. mark — a grade
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. stock — shares
  19. mark — a trace
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  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