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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. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. Have you settled on a ________________?
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. pop — soda
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. date — the fruit
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. race — a contest
  11. plane — a tool
  12. saw — the tool
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. saw — the tool
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. pop — music
  20. pop — to visit
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. race — humankind
  24. race — the arms race

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