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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. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. plane — a tool
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. degree — from a university
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. degree — an amount
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. degree — temperature
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. mine — an explosive

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