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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. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. face — part of the head
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. face — to confront
  10. current — electric
  11. current — happening now
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. band — a ring
  14. face — to point toward
  15. band — a music group
  16. plane — a tool
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. club — a group
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. club — for golf
  22. current — of water
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. club — for dancing

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