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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: fan · present · mug · leaves · wave · foot · field · plane

  1. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. present — there
  4. field — farmland
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. field — for sport
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. foot — a measure
  10. present — a gift
  11. mug — a face
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. mug — a cup
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. mug — to rob
  18. present — the time now
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. field — a subject
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. plane — an aircraft

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