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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.

Make a worksheet

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: plane · fall · nail · squash · fan · present · pitcher · tear

  1. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. squash — to crush
  4. squash — the sport
  5. fall — to drop
  6. present — the time now
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. tear — from crying
  9. plane — a tool
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. present — there
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. fall — the season
  16. present — a gift
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. fall — to drop
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. tear — from crying
  24. squash — the vegetable

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