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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. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. scale — in music
  4. plane — a tool
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. shower — rain
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. fall — to drop
  13. fall — the season
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. fall — to drop
  16. pass — a permit
  17. shower — to wash
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. scale — size or range
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. current — happening now
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. current — of water
  24. current — electric

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