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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. David sat on the ________________.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. lean — to bend
  6. lean — thin
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. swing — music
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. swing — in golf
  12. game — wild animals
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. spring — of water
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. plane — a tool
  19. spring — a coil
  20. game — a match
  21. spring — the season
  22. cue — for pool
  23. cue — a hint
  24. cue — a signal

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