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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 party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. degree — from a university
  5. plane — a tool
  6. rash — hasty
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. degree — temperature
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. degree — an amount
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. bass — low music
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. bass — the fish
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. nail — on a finger

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