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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. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. current — happening now
  3. rash — a series
  4. fine — high quality
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. net — in sport
  7. plane — a tool
  8. net — after costs
  9. net — for catching
  10. rest — what's left
  11. march — music
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. rash — hasty
  14. rest — what's left
  15. fine — all right
  16. lean — thin
  17. current — electric
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. rest — a break
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. lean — to bend
  23. march — the month
  24. current — of water

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