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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 belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  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. club — a group
  2. band — a music group
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. club — for dancing
  5. plane — a tool
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. lean — thin
  8. club — for golf
  9. fork — in a road
  10. band — a ring
  11. craft — a skill
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. lean — to bend
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. craft — boats
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. leaves — of a tree
  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