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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. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  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. fine — all right
  2. land — a country
  3. fine — high quality
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. stem — to come from
  6. present — there
  7. stand — to bear
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. mate — a friend
  10. spell — magic
  11. mate — to breed
  12. present — the time now
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. spell — letters
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. land — ground
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. present — a gift
  21. spell — a short time
  22. mate — a partner
  23. land — to come down
  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