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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. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. fine — all right
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. ground — the earth
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. prune — to trim
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. shower — rain
  14. cell — in biology
  15. cell — a phone
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. fine — high quality
  19. shower — to wash
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. ground — crushed
  22. ground — a position
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. prune — to trim

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