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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. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. file — a line of people
  9. drill — army training
  10. drill — a practice
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. suit — clothes
  16. plane — a tool
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. suit — in cards
  19. suit — to fit
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. file — a tool
  22. drill — the tool
  23. snap — to click
  24. file — a document

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