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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. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. bound — obliged
  3. march — music
  4. suit — to fit
  5. suit — clothes
  6. bound — certain
  7. band — a music group
  8. bulb — for light
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. bulb — for light
  11. march — the month
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. march — the month
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. band — a ring
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. suit — in cards
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. bound — tied together
  24. ruler — for measuring

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