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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. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. firm — steady
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. can — a tin
  6. field — a subject
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. pop — to visit
  9. lie — to recline
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. last — to go on
  12. last — finally
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. pop — music
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. field — for sport
  17. can — to be able to
  18. plane — a tool
  19. pop — soda
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. firm — decided
  22. can — a tin
  23. last — final
  24. field — farmland

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