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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: rush · plane · hand · fan · bowl · last · game · pop

  1. The ________________ took off on time.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. pop — music
  3. plane — a tool
  4. game — a match
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. pop — soda
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. hand — in cards
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. last — to go on
  14. last — final
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. rush — hurry
  17. last — finally
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. hand — help
  22. game — wild animals
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. pop — to visit

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