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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.

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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: plane · fan · dip · suit · hand · fine · wax · race

  1. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. wax — to grow
  4. suit — in cards
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. plane — a tool
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. race — humankind
  11. fine — high quality
  12. suit — to fit
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. hand — help
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. suit — clothes
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. hand — in cards
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. race — a contest
  22. race — the arms race
  23. fine — all right
  24. dip — to sink

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