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

Word bank: fan · hand · cue · lean · saw · rule · firm · chest

  1. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. rule — a law
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. cue — a hint
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. lean — to bend
  8. hand — help
  9. firm — a company
  10. firm — steady
  11. hand — in cards
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. chest — of your body
  14. firm — decided
  15. cue — for pool
  16. cue — a signal
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. saw — the tool
  19. saw — the tool
  20. chest — a box
  21. lean — thin
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. chest — of your body
  24. rule — government

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