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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.

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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 · cold · stand · fan · bay · pitcher · leaves · ruler

  1. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. The water is too ________________.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. cold — an illness
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. plane — a tool
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. cold — not warm
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. stand — to bear
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. cold — the Cold War
  24. ruler — a monarch

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