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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. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. The water is too ________________.
  4. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. cold — not warm
  4. cold — an illness
  5. object — a thing
  6. stock — shares
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. rash — a series
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. cold — the Cold War
  11. stock — goods
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. object — to protest
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. rash — hasty
  20. march — the month
  21. march — the month
  22. plane — a tool
  23. march — music
  24. object — an aim

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