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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 120 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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. object — an aim
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. suit — to fit
  5. suit — clothes
  6. clip — a video
  7. suit — in cards
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. clip — for paper
  10. perch — the fish
  11. row — a line
  12. plane — a tool
  13. object — a thing
  14. object — to protest
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. row — to paddle
  17. can — a tin
  18. can — a tin
  19. clip — to cut
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. can — to be able to
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. row — a quarrel

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