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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. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. hand — help
  3. mug — a face
  4. bass — low music
  5. present — there
  6. present — the time now
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. hand — in cards
  11. drill — the tool
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. mug — a cup
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. mug — to rob
  17. drill — a practice
  18. plane — a tool
  19. drill — army training
  20. season — of the year
  21. bass — the fish
  22. present — a gift
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. season — in sport

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