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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. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. bass — the fish
  7. bound — obliged
  8. wind — moving air
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. branch — a division
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. wind — moving air
  14. bound — tied together
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. bass — low music
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. season — in sport
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. bound — certain
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. season — of the year
  24. wake — a trail

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