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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 president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. squash — to crush
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. plane — a tool
  6. scale — in music
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. ground — crushed
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. bound — tied together
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. scale — size or range
  15. squash — the sport
  16. bound — certain
  17. hand — in cards
  18. ground — the earth
  19. ground — a position
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. bound — obliged
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. pound — a weight
  24. hand — help

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