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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: hide · fan · mug · roll · trunk · rash · pop · plane

  1. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. roll — a cake
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. roll — a list
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. pop — music
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. pop — to visit
  13. mug — to rob
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. rash — a series
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. mug — a face
  20. pop — soda
  21. plane — a tool
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. rash — hasty
  24. roll — on a roll

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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