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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. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  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. fan — a supporter
  2. plane — a tool
  3. can — a tin
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. dip — to sink
  7. capital — money
  8. can — a tin
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. chip — to eat
  11. sharp — clever
  12. chip — for betting
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. capital — a city
  16. can — to be able to
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. bore — to tire
  21. capital — a big letter
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. bore — to drill
  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