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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 116 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. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. last — final
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. field — a subject
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. fine — all right
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. pitch — completely
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. field — for sport
  16. deal — to handle
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. last — to go on
  19. field — farmland
  20. plane — a tool
  21. fine — high quality
  22. lie — to recline
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. pitch — a sports field

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