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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 120 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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  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. can — a tin
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. plane — a tool
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. can — to be able to
  9. lean — thin
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. prune — to trim
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. prune — to trim
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. pop — to visit
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. pop — soda
  20. can — a tin
  21. pop — music
  22. dip — to sink
  23. lean — to bend
  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