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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 120 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. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. key — in music
  4. current — electric
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. wind — moving air
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. wind — moving air
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. key — for a lock
  11. dip — to sink
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. key — the most important part
  16. fork — in a road
  17. current — happening now
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. current — of water
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. lie — to recline

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