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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 ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. file — a line of people
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. bat — the animal
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. file — a tool
  9. march — the month
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. spell — magic
  13. march — music
  14. plane — a tool
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. march — the month
  18. spell — a short time
  19. spell — letters
  20. file — a document
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. stand — to bear
  24. stand — on your feet

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