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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 lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. net — in sport
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. hand — in cards
  5. last — final
  6. bulb — for light
  7. bulb — for light
  8. last — finally
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. hand — help
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. plane — a tool
  15. suit — in cards
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. chest — of your body
  18. suit — clothes
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. chest — of your body
  21. net — for catching
  22. last — to go on
  23. net — after costs
  24. suit — to fit

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