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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. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. wind — moving air
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. spell — a short time
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. spell — magic
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. spell — letters
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. wind — moving air
  16. shower — rain
  17. foot — a measure
  18. shower — to wash
  19. plane — a tool
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. wake — a trail
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. jam — a tight spot

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