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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. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. shower — to wash
  5. plane — a tool
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. land — to come down
  8. wake — a trail
  9. bass — low music
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. face — part of the head
  12. face — to point toward
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. land — a country
  17. bass — the fish
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. spell — magic
  20. land — ground
  21. shower — rain
  22. face — to confront
  23. spell — letters
  24. spell — a short time

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