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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.

Make a worksheet

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: key · mark · ruler · fan · cold · row · mine · can

  1. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. The water is too ________________.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  20. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. can — to be able to
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. mark — a grade
  8. can — a tin
  9. key — for a lock
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. row — a line
  13. mine — for digging
  14. row — to paddle
  15. key — in music
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. cold — not warm
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. cold — an illness
  20. cold — the Cold War
  21. can — a tin
  22. mark — a trace
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. key — the most important part

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