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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'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. fork — in a road
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. fine — all right
  5. land — to come down
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. fine — high quality
  8. plane — a tool
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. lean — thin
  11. pop — to visit
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. pop — soda
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. pop — music
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. land — a country
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. lean — to bend

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