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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. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. present — the time now
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. present — there
  6. fall — to drop
  7. plane — a tool
  8. bark — to shout
  9. fall — the season
  10. fall — to drop
  11. march — the month
  12. scale — in music
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. date — the fruit
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. march — music
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. march — the month
  24. present — a gift

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