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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: bore · rest · plane · present · track · fine · fan · lean

  1. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. track — a path
  3. track — to keep track
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. present — a gift
  6. present — there
  7. present — the time now
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. plane — a tool
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. lean — to bend
  14. bore — to drill
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. lean — thin
  18. rest — what's left
  19. bore — to tire
  20. rest — what's left
  21. fine — high quality
  22. fine — all right
  23. track — a song
  24. rest — a break

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