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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: cell · plane · rush · pit · spell · can · mark · fan

  1. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. can — to be able to
  4. pit — a hole
  5. mark — a trace
  6. plane — a tool
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. cell — in biology
  11. spell — letters
  12. rush — hurry
  13. can — a tin
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. can — a tin
  16. spell — magic
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. mark — a grade
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. spell — a short time
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. cell — a phone
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. pit — in a race

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