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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. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. march — the month
  3. fall — to drop
  4. present — the time now
  5. present — there
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. march — music
  10. fall — to drop
  11. bulb — for light
  12. field — for sport
  13. march — the month
  14. net — for catching
  15. bulb — for light
  16. plane — a tool
  17. present — a gift
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. net — in sport
  20. net — after costs
  21. field — a subject
  22. field — farmland
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. fall — the season

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