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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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. last — final
  4. bass — low music
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. fine — high quality
  7. plane — a tool
  8. fall — to drop
  9. bass — the fish
  10. fall — the season
  11. fine — all right
  12. present — there
  13. last — to go on
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. present — a gift
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. last — finally
  22. fall — to drop
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. present — the time now

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