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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. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. We're on a ________________ here.
  12. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. plane — a tool
  3. fine — all right
  4. bat — the animal
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. roll — on a roll
  12. roll — a cake
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. roll — a list
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. prune — to trim
  23. prune — to trim
  24. fine — high quality

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