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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. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. land — ground
  3. plane — a tool
  4. land — a country
  5. net — in sport
  6. march — the month
  7. suit — in cards
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. suit — to fit
  11. net — after costs
  12. fine — all right
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. march — the month
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. lean — thin
  18. net — for catching
  19. lean — to bend
  20. fine — high quality
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. march — music
  23. land — to come down
  24. temple — side of the head

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