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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. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. firm — a company
  4. firm — steady
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. firm — decided
  7. bark — to shout
  8. suit — in cards
  9. wind — moving air
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. cap — a lid
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. plane — a tool
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. wind — moving air
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. suit — to fit
  19. cap — of ice
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. suit — clothes
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. cap — a hat
  24. bark — of a tree

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