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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. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. can — a tin
  3. dip — to sink
  4. ball — a dance
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. plane — a tool
  8. track — a path
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. staff — employees
  12. staff — employees
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. can — to be able to
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. track — to keep track
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. ball — a great time
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. mine — for digging
  22. track — a song
  23. can — a tin
  24. fan — a supporter

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