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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. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. fall — to drop
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. plane — a tool
  5. can — a tin
  6. lie — to recline
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. fork — in a road
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. can — a tin
  12. foot — a measure
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. fall — the season
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. scale — in music
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. scale — size or range
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. can — to be able to
  24. foot — the bottom

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