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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 116 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 kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  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. scale — for weighing
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. staff — employees
  5. plane — a tool
  6. fall — the season
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. tube — a container
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. scale — size or range
  11. pitch — completely
  12. fall — to drop
  13. tube — the underground
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. scale — in music
  17. staff — a stick
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. staff — employees
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. pass — a permit
  23. fall — to drop
  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