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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. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. land — to come down
  4. shower — to wash
  5. can — a tin
  6. object — an aim
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. plane — a tool
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. can — to be able to
  12. object — a thing
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. date — the fruit
  17. can — a tin
  18. shower — rain
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. object — to protest
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. land — a country
  24. land — ground

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