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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. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. mate — to breed
  5. pass — a permit
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. clip — for paper
  8. clip — to cut
  9. squash — the sport
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. mate — a partner
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. squash — to crush
  17. plane — a tool
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. mate — a friend
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. clip — a video
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. pass — to spend time

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