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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. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  12. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. The water is too ________________.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. net — after costs
  7. current — electric
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. net — for catching
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. cold — the Cold War
  12. cold — an illness
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. current — happening now
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. cold — not warm
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. saw — the tool
  20. saw — the tool
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. current — of water
  23. net — in sport
  24. fan — to cool the air

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