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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. The ________________ took off on time.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. stand — to bear
  5. fine — all right
  6. bat — the animal
  7. plane — a tool
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. face — to point toward
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. face — to confront
  14. current — happening now
  15. tear — from crying
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. tear — to rip
  18. tear — from crying
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. current — electric
  21. current — of water
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. face — part of the head
  24. fine — high quality

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