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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.

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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. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. The water is too ________________.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. cold — the Cold War
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. fine — high quality
  6. current — of water
  7. current — happening now
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. cold — an illness
  10. wake — a trail
  11. current — electric
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. rest — what's left
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. rest — what's left
  16. cold — not warm
  17. plane — a tool
  18. perch — the fish
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. rest — a break
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. fine — all right
  24. plane — an aircraft

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