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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 116 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. That must've been a ________________.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. rush — hurry
  8. plane — a tool
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. file — a line of people
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. bass — low music
  14. fine — all right
  15. bass — the fish
  16. perch — the fish
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. file — a tool
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. file — a document
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. leaves — lets stay

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