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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. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. bulb — for light
  3. fine — all right
  4. fall — to drop
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. land — ground
  9. pass — a permit
  10. spring — a coil
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. fine — high quality
  13. fall — to drop
  14. land — a country
  15. spring — of water
  16. bulb — for light
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. land — to come down
  19. fall — the season
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. plane — a tool
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. plane — in geometry

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