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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: saw · pitcher · ruler · court · date · wave · fan · lean

  1. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. lean — to bend
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. lean — thin
  11. court — for sport
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. court — of a king
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. court — of law
  19. saw — the tool
  20. date — the fruit
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. lean — to rest against

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