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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. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. fine — all right
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. spring — the season
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. fine — high quality
  8. march — music
  9. tear — from crying
  10. last — final
  11. rash — a series
  12. pitch — completely
  13. last — finally
  14. spring — a coil
  15. rash — hasty
  16. march — the month
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. march — the month
  19. tear — from crying
  20. spring — of water
  21. last — to go on
  22. tear — to rip
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. plane — a tool

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