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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. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. hand — help
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. content — happy
  7. content — the amount
  8. perch — the fish
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. bulb — for light
  14. wake — a trail
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. bulb — for light
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. hand — in cards

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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