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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. Have you settled on a ________________?
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  7. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. date — the fruit
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. ground — the earth
  6. clip — to cut
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. ground — crushed
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. clip — a video
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. hand — in cards
  14. hand — help
  15. ground — a position
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. plane — a tool
  18. bank — for money
  19. clip — for paper
  20. bank — of a river
  21. bank — for money
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. scale — in music
  24. scale — size or range

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