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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. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. root — of a plant
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. perch — the fish
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. root — the cause
  14. current — happening now
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. current — of water
  18. plane — a tool
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. root — of a word
  22. current — electric
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. lie — to recline

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