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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. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. present — the time now
  3. season — of the year
  4. present — a gift
  5. season — in sport
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. saw — the tool
  9. plane — a tool
  10. present — there
  11. field — a subject
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. band — a music group
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. fine — high quality
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. kick — in football
  20. field — farmland
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. field — for sport
  23. saw — the tool
  24. band — a ring

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