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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.

Make a worksheet

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: fan · saw · last · suit · racket · ruler · mug · tear

  1. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. last — to go on
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. suit — in cards
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. last — final
  8. mug — a face
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. tear — from crying
  11. mug — a cup
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. suit — clothes
  14. mug — to rob
  15. last — finally
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. tear — to rip
  18. tear — from crying
  19. saw — the tool
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. saw — the tool
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. suit — to fit
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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