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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. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. hand — help
  8. kick — in football
  9. hand — in cards
  10. squash — the sport
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. bound — tied together
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. squash — to crush
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. bound — certain
  20. bound — obliged
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. lie — to recline
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. ruler — for measuring

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