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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. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. staff — employees
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. staff — a stick
  6. shower — to wash
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. rock — a stone
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. plane — a tool
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. last — finally
  15. last — final
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. staff — employees
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. rush — hurry
  21. shower — rain
  22. rock — music
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. last — to go on

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