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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. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. bear — the animal
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. spell — magic
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. stand — to bear
  7. spell — letters
  8. game — a match
  9. cap — of ice
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. game — wild animals
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. bear — the animal
  16. spell — a short time
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. cap — a hat
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. cap — a lid

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