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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 124 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. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  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. fan — a supporter
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. deal — to handle
  4. game — a match
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. fork — in a road
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. game — wild animals
  12. plane — a tool
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. nail — for a hammer
  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