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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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. shower — rain
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. saw — the tool
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. chair — a leader
  9. season — in sport
  10. season — of the year
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. scale — size or range
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. shower — to wash
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. wake — a trail
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. scale — in music
  24. saw — the tool

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