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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 116 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: face · lash · land · ruler · cue · spell · stock · fan

  1. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. cue — a hint
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. cue — for pool
  5. stock — shares
  6. cue — a signal
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. land — a country
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. spell — magic
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. spell — letters
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. land — to come down
  16. land — ground
  17. face — to confront
  18. stock — goods
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. face — to point toward
  22. spell — a short time
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. face — part of the head

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