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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. The ________________ took off on time.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. fall — to drop
  3. court — for sport
  4. court — of law
  5. plane — a tool
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. fall — the season
  8. row — to paddle
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. row — a line
  13. race — the arms race
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. race — a contest
  19. court — of a king
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. race — humankind
  24. fall — to drop

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