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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 am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. capital — a city
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. firm — decided
  5. firm — a company
  6. shower — rain
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. mine — for digging
  10. dip — to sink
  11. firm — steady
  12. bank — of a river
  13. capital — money
  14. shower — to wash
  15. bank — for money
  16. bank — for money
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. mine — belonging to me

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