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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. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. season — of the year
  4. fall — to drop
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. pop — soda
  7. fall — to drop
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. plane — a tool
  10. fine — high quality
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. mate — a friend
  13. pop — music
  14. cell — a phone
  15. mate — to breed
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. season — in sport
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. cell — in biology
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. mate — a partner
  22. fine — all right
  23. fall — the season
  24. ruler — for measuring

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