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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 120 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: bowl · pass · fan · straw · ruler · dip · fine · land

  1. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. land — a country
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. land — to come down
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. pass — a permit
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. dip — to sink
  20. fine — all right
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. fine — high quality
  24. land — ground

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