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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. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. band — a music group
  3. wound — an injury
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. band — a ring
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. lie — to recline
  10. key — the most important part
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. wound — an injury
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. lean — to bend
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. key — in music
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. lean — thin
  22. key — for a lock
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. ruler — a monarch

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