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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. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. mug — to rob
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. rest — a break
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. ball — a dance
  9. prune — to trim
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. rest — what's left
  15. plane — a tool
  16. bat — the animal
  17. mug — a face
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. prune — to trim
  20. ball — a great time
  21. cell — a phone
  22. cell — in biology
  23. mug — a cup
  24. rest — what's left

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