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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 120 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
468
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 · can · plane · face · vault · racket · drill · pound

  1. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. can — a tin
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. plane — a tool
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. pound — a weight
  13. face — to point toward
  14. can — to be able to
  15. drill — the tool
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. drill — a practice
  18. vault — a safe
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. drill — army training
  22. can — a tin
  23. face — to confront
  24. face — part of the head

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