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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 116 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 party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. fall — to drop
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. dip — to sink
  5. fine — all right
  6. net — after costs
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. fine — high quality
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. plane — a tool
  11. mine — for digging
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. rash — hasty
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. fall — the season
  16. lie — to recline
  17. net — for catching
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. net — in sport
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. fall — to drop
  24. lie — an untruth

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