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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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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 · wake · rock · hand · plane · pound · bat · tube

  1. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. rock — a stone
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. hand — help
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. pound — a weight
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. tube — a container
  12. bat — the animal
  13. plane — a tool
  14. wake — a trail
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. hand — in cards
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. tube — the underground
  24. rock — music

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