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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: arm · cold · plane · fine · march · pop · season · can

  1. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. The water is too ________________.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. pop — music
  3. plane — a tool
  4. fine — all right
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. can — a tin
  9. pop — soda
  10. can — a tin
  11. can — to be able to
  12. cold — an illness
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. cold — the Cold War
  15. march — the month
  16. season — in sport
  17. march — music
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. pop — to visit
  20. season — of the year
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. cold — not warm
  24. march — the month

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