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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. The ________________ took off on time.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. net — after costs
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. net — in sport
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. plane — a tool
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. dip — to sink
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. cue — a signal
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. wound — an injury
  18. cue — a hint
  19. net — for catching
  20. wound — an injury
  21. cue — for pool
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. pitcher — a jug

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