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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.

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: fine · hand · mine · fan · bear · game · last · ruler

  1. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. game — wild animals
  5. bear — the animal
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. game — a match
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. bear — the animal
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. hand — in cards
  14. mine — for digging
  15. hand — help
  16. fine — high quality
  17. fine — all right
  18. last — finally
  19. last — to go on
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. last — final
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. hand — part of the body

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