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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. Have you settled on a ________________?
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. present — there
  5. lean — thin
  6. lean — to bend
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. fine — high quality
  9. fine — all right
  10. present — the time now
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. date — the fruit
  15. ground — crushed
  16. present — a gift
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. ground — the earth
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. plane — a tool
  24. ground — a position

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