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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.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. plane — a tool
  10. stem — to come from
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. stem — a stem cell

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