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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. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. charge — a price
  4. tear — from crying
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. field — a subject
  7. charge — electricity
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. tear — from crying
  10. ball — a great time
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. last — final
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. charge — in control
  15. tear — to rip
  16. jam — in traffic
  17. last — finally
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. plane — a tool
  20. field — farmland
  21. field — for sport
  22. last — to go on
  23. fine — high quality
  24. ball — a dance

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