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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: foot · bear · clip · mug · last · bowl · fan · plane

  1. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. clip — for paper
  4. plane — a tool
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. last — to go on
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. last — final
  11. bear — the animal
  12. mug — a face
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. last — finally
  16. clip — a video
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. bear — the animal
  19. mug — a cup
  20. clip — to cut
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. foot — a measure

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