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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. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. can — a tin
  3. can — a tin
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. bound — certain
  6. squash — to crush
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. shower — rain
  9. drill — the tool
  10. can — to be able to
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. plane — a tool
  14. shower — to wash
  15. bound — tied together
  16. drill — army training
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. squash — the sport
  19. drill — a practice
  20. kick — in football
  21. bound — obliged
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. kick — with a leg

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