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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. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. fall — the season
  6. file — a document
  7. plane — a tool
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. file — a tool
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. current — of water
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. current — happening now
  14. file — a line of people
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. bark — to shout
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. fall — to drop
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. current — electric
  22. fall — to drop
  23. dip — to sink
  24. fan — a supporter

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