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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. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. plane — a tool
  4. tube — the underground
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. ball — a dance
  8. bat — the animal
  9. row — to paddle
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. tube — a container
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. track — to keep track
  14. track — a song
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. track — a path
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. ball — a great time
  22. row — a line
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. nail — for a hammer

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