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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 116 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. The ________________ took off on time.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. file — a line of people
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. key — in music
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. club — for dancing
  12. file — a tool
  13. wake — a trail
  14. club — a group
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. club — for golf
  17. plane — a tool
  18. key — for a lock
  19. key — the most important part
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. stand — to bear
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. file — a document

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