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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: fan · plane · mate · mug · toast · land · roll · jam

  1. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. We're on a ________________ here.
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  21. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. land — to come down
  5. mug — a cup
  6. jam — a tight spot
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. toast — a drink to someone
  9. mug — to rob
  10. land — ground
  11. toast — bread
  12. mug — a face
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. mate — a friend
  16. plane — a tool
  17. mate — to breed
  18. roll — on a roll
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. roll — a cake
  21. toast — the most admired
  22. mate — a partner
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  24. roll — a list

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