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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. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. Have you settled on a ________________?
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. fall — to drop
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. fall — to drop
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. date — the fruit
  11. plane — a tool
  12. fall — the season
  13. foot — a measure
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. present — a gift
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. fork — in a road
  23. present — the time now
  24. coach — a trainer

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