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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. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. kid — child
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. pop — music
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. pop — to visit
  11. press — to push
  12. swing — in golf
  13. prune — to trim
  14. plane — a tool
  15. swing — music
  16. kid — to tease
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. prune — to trim
  20. press — a publisher
  21. swing — to play on
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. pop — soda
  24. press — newspapers

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