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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. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. rash — hasty
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. content — the amount
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. rash — a series
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. content — happy
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. dip — to sink
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. pound — a weight
  22. pass — a permit
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. trunk — of a tree

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