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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. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. track — a path
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. wind — moving air
  9. kick — in football
  10. track — to keep track
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. wind — moving air
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. plane — a tool
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. board — to get on
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. track — a song
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. board — a committee

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