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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. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. prune — to trim
  5. net — after costs
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. net — in sport
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. plane — a tool
  21. fork — in a road
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. prune — to trim

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