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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. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. tube — the underground
  3. plane — a tool
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. tube — a container
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. can — a tin
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. tear — from crying
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. craft — a skill
  18. bass — low music
  19. tear — from crying
  20. can — a tin
  21. can — to be able to
  22. craft — boats
  23. tear — to rip
  24. bass — the fish

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