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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 120 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. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. fall — to drop
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. fine — all right
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. deal — to handle
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. file — a tool
  13. rule — a law
  14. fall — the season
  15. fall — to drop
  16. file — a document
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. file — a line of people
  19. rule — government
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. plane — a tool
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. fan — to cool the air

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