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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. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. scale — size or range
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. scale — in music
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. dip — to sink
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. mine — for digging
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. foot — a measure
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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