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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. fine — all right
  6. band — a ring
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. band — a music group
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. fine — high quality
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. cell — in biology
  13. plane — a tool
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. cell — a phone
  18. coach — pulled by horses

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