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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. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. season — of the year
  4. season — in sport
  5. fall — the season
  6. pit — in a race
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. pit — a hole
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. root — of a plant
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. root — the cause
  16. mug — a cup
  17. root — of a word
  18. fall — to drop
  19. fall — to drop
  20. plane — a tool
  21. mug — a face
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. mouse — the animal

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