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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. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. fine — high quality
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. fine — all right
  10. track — a path
  11. track — to keep track
  12. track — a song
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. stand — to bear
  15. sharp — clever
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. plane — a tool
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. saw — the tool

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