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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 · mug · pass · row · chest · ruler · cell · wave

  1. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. cell — in biology
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. mug — to rob
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. chest — a box
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. chest — of your body
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. mug — a cup
  15. chest — of your body
  16. row — to paddle
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. row — a line
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. mug — a face
  21. cell — a phone
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. pass — a permit
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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