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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. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. saw — the tool
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. tube — a container
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. bank — for money
  8. tube — the underground
  9. file — a line of people
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. snap — to click
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. file — a tool
  18. file — a document
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. bank — of a river
  23. saw — the tool
  24. bank — for money

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