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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. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. mug — a face
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. mug — a cup
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. dip — to sink
  13. plane — a tool
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. stand — to bear
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. mug — to rob
  21. fork — in a road
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. fork — a garden tool

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