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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. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  24. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. mine — for digging
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. chair — a leader
  9. bass — low music
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. chest — of your body
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. bass — the fish
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. chest — a box
  17. bat — the animal
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. bat — in an idiom
  24. chest — of your body

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