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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 124 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 am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. plane — a tool
  3. face — part of the head
  4. rest — what's left
  5. march — the month
  6. degree — temperature
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. face — to confront
  10. chip — for betting
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. rest — a break
  13. bass — low music
  14. degree — from a university
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. march — music
  17. march — the month
  18. degree — an amount
  19. face — to point toward
  20. rest — what's left
  21. chip — to eat
  22. bass — the fish
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. plane — an aircraft

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