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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. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. spring — a coil
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. spring — the season
  6. bat — the animal
  7. last — to go on
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. land — to come down
  15. last — finally
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. spring — of water
  18. land — a country
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. land — ground
  23. stand — to bear
  24. last — final

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