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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. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. We're on a ________________ here.
  19. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. bound — tied together
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. plane — a tool
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. band — a ring
  11. rash — hasty
  12. bound — obliged
  13. roll — a cake
  14. fine — high quality
  15. rash — a series
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. roll — on a roll
  19. roll — a list
  20. band — a music group
  21. bound — certain
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. pass — a permit
  24. pass — to succeed

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