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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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. plane — a tool
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. season — of the year
  7. rest — what's left
  8. march — the month
  9. march — music
  10. march — the month
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. rule — a law
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. rest — what's left
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. game — wild animals
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. game — a match
  22. rule — government
  23. rest — a break
  24. fan — to cool the air

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