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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. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. pop — to visit
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. fine — high quality
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. fine — all right
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. hand — help
  9. foot — a measure
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. plane — a tool
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. hand — in cards
  14. pop — soda
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. hand — part of the body

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