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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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. bear — the animal
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. wake — a trail
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. ground — the earth
  9. saw — the tool
  10. chair — a leader
  11. chip — to eat
  12. ground — a position
  13. bear — the animal
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. ground — crushed
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. chip — for betting
  21. saw — the tool
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. chair — to sit on

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