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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 120 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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Word bank
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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 am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. drill — the tool
  3. chair — a leader
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. drill — army training
  7. dip — to sink
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. can — a tin
  10. cap — a hat
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. plane — a tool
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. key — in music
  15. can — to be able to
  16. can — a tin
  17. key — for a lock
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. drill — a practice
  20. cap — of ice
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. key — the most important part
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. cap — a lid

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