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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. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. land — a country
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. snap — to click
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. field — farmland
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. plane — a tool
  18. field — a subject
  19. field — for sport
  20. land — to come down
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. land — ground

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