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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 got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. Have you settled on a ________________?
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. board — a committee
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. mark — a trace
  9. fine — all right
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. land — to come down
  12. land — a country
  13. land — ground
  14. mark — a grade
  15. fall — the season
  16. fall — to drop
  17. rash — hasty
  18. date — the fruit
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. fall — to drop
  21. plane — a tool
  22. rash — a series
  23. fine — high quality
  24. board — to get on

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