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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. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. Hold the papers together with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. board — a committee
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. rock — a stone
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. rock — music
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. ball — a dance
  12. clip — to cut
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. dip — to sink
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. clip — a video
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. board — to get on
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. plane — a tool
  22. ball — a great time
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. clip — for paper

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