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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. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. bear — the animal
  3. last — final
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. last — finally
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. pop — to visit
  9. can — a tin
  10. fork — in a road
  11. fine — all right
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. pop — music
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. can — a tin
  16. can — to be able to
  17. last — to go on
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. fine — high quality
  20. plane — a tool
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. bear — the animal
  24. pop — soda

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