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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. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  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. fan — to cool the air
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. pit — a hole
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. ground — the earth
  8. ground — crushed
  9. pit — in a race
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. cap — a hat
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. ground — a position
  16. plane — a tool
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. cap — of ice
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. cap — a lid
  23. plane — in geometry
  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