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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. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. plane — a tool
  4. object — an aim
  5. ground — the earth
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. object — a thing
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. cap — of ice
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. cap — a lid
  14. cap — a hat
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. ground — crushed
  17. ground — a position
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. fall — the season
  20. fall — to drop
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. fall — to drop
  24. plane — an aircraft

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