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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. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. net — after costs
  4. drill — army training
  5. net — for catching
  6. drill — a practice
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. spell — letters
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. net — in sport
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. spell — magic
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. drill — the tool
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. mine — for digging
  23. spell — a short time
  24. ruler — for measuring

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