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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 116 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. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. saw — the tool
  3. saw — the tool
  4. plane — a tool
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. pass — a permit
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. current — electric
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. current — of water
  15. current — happening now
  16. spring — a coil
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. spring — the season
  21. spring — of water
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. plane — in geometry

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