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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. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. can — a tin
  3. plane — a tool
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. can — to be able to
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. object — to protest
  13. band — a music group
  14. can — a tin
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. band — a ring
  17. object — a thing
  18. spell — letters
  19. object — an aim
  20. shower — rain
  21. shower — to wash
  22. spell — a short time
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. spell — magic

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