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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 116 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. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. plane — a tool
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. bark — to shout
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. fine — high quality
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. scale — size or range
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. scale — in music
  24. plane — in geometry

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