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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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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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. can — a tin
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. bound — obliged
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. vault — a safe
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. season — of the year
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. shower — rain
  17. bound — tied together
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. bound — certain
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. shower — to wash
  22. season — in sport
  23. can — a tin
  24. plane — a tool

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