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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. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. The water is too ________________.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. wound — an injury
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. cold — an illness
  10. cap — a lid
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. cap — of ice
  13. cold — not warm
  14. wound — an injury
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. cold — the Cold War
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. cap — a hat
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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