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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. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  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. fine — a penalty
  2. bat — the animal
  3. fine — high quality
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. lean — thin
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. stem — to come from
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. charge — in control
  13. plane — a tool
  14. charge — a price
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. charge — electricity
  17. mine — for digging
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. fine — all right
  20. lean — to bend
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. bowl — a dish
  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