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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 120 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. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  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. fan — a supporter
  2. court — of a king
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. plane — a tool
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. file — a tool
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. chest — of your body
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. court — for sport
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. chest — a box
  19. file — a line of people
  20. chest — of your body
  21. court — of law
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. leaves — lets stay
  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