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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. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. mug — to rob
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. mate — a friend
  5. mate — to breed
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. plane — a tool
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. spell — magic
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. pound — a weight
  15. prune — to trim
  16. prune — to trim
  17. mate — a partner
  18. spell — a short time
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. mug — a cup
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. mug — a face
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. spell — letters

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