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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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. clip — a video
  4. rush — hurry
  5. court — of law
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. face — part of the head
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. plane — a tool
  10. court — of a king
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. clip — for paper
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. can — a tin
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. can — to be able to
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. court — for sport
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. clip — to cut
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. face — to confront
  24. face — to point toward

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