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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: row · stand · mug · fan · ruler · cue · wound · cell

  1. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. row — a line
  5. cell — a phone
  6. wound — an injury
  7. cue — a hint
  8. mug — a cup
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. mug — to rob
  15. cue — for pool
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. mug — a face
  18. cue — a signal
  19. stand — to bear
  20. row — to paddle
  21. cell — in biology
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. fan — to cool the air

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