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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. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. can — a tin
  3. mate — a friend
  4. shower — to wash
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. mine — for digging
  7. firm — steady
  8. firm — decided
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. shower — rain
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. drill — army training
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. can — a tin
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. can — to be able to
  18. drill — the tool
  19. firm — a company
  20. mate — to breed
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. mate — a partner
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. drill — a practice

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