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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. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. land — to come down
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. plane — a tool
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. row — to paddle
  10. chair — a leader
  11. row — a line
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. fork — in a road
  17. bulb — for light
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. land — a country
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. snap — to click
  23. land — ground
  24. bulb — for light

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