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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.

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: net · plane · leaves · fan · temple · wake · dip · pitcher

  1. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. net — for catching
  6. plane — a tool
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. dip — to sink
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. net — after costs
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. net — in sport
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. wake — a trail
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. plane — in geometry

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