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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. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  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. leaves — of a tree
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. plane — a tool
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. ball — a dance
  10. mug — a face
  11. row — a line
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. mug — a cup
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. ball — a great time
  17. row — to paddle
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. wake — a trail
  20. mug — to rob
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. plane — in geometry
  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