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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: ruler · sharp · cell · dip · land · firm · mug · fan

  1. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. land — ground
  5. land — to come down
  6. firm — steady
  7. firm — decided
  8. sharp — clever
  9. mug — a cup
  10. mug — to rob
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. cell — in biology
  14. land — a country
  15. mug — a face
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. firm — a company
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. cell — a phone
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. ruler — for measuring
  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