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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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468
Word bank
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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 assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. plane — a tool
  4. fall — the season
  5. fine — high quality
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. lie — to recline
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. rash — hasty
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. fall — to drop
  15. fall — to drop
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. key — for a lock
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. key — the most important part
  21. key — in music
  22. rash — a series
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. bowl — a dish

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