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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. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. spring — the season
  4. spell — a short time
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. spell — letters
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. prune — to trim
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. plane — a tool
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. spring — a coil
  17. prune — to trim
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. spell — magic
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. spring — of water

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