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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. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. last — finally
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. last — final
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. land — a country
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. last — to go on
  11. chip — to eat
  12. perch — the fish
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. pop — to visit
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. pop — music
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. pop — soda
  19. chip — for betting
  20. kick — in football
  21. land — ground
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. land — to come down

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