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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. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. fall — the season
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. spell — magic
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. chip — to eat
  10. mate — a friend
  11. pound — a weight
  12. spell — a short time
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. mate — a partner
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. chip — for betting
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. fall — to drop
  21. mate — to breed
  22. spell — letters
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. fall — to drop

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