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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. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. row — a line
  3. plane — a tool
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. can — a tin
  7. stand — to bear
  8. track — a path
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. track — to keep track
  13. bank — for money
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. bank — for money
  18. bore — to tire
  19. bank — of a river
  20. row — to paddle
  21. can — a tin
  22. can — to be able to
  23. bore — to drill
  24. track — a song

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