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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.

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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 · pound · chip · tear · firm · fan · cell · hand

  1. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. cell — in biology
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. firm — decided
  6. chip — to eat
  7. cell — a phone
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. tear — from crying
  15. chip — for betting
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. tear — to rip
  19. hand — help
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. pound — a weight
  22. firm — steady
  23. firm — a company
  24. tear — from crying

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