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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. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. swing — in golf
  5. field — farmland
  6. object — a thing
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. field — a subject
  9. fall — the season
  10. field — for sport
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. fall — to drop
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. object — an aim
  17. fall — to drop
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. swing — to play on
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. swing — music
  24. fan — to cool the air

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