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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.

Make a worksheet

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. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. bound — tied together
  7. dip — to sink
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. bound — obliged
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. bound — certain
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. pit — in a race
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. plane — a tool
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. pit — a hole

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