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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: fine · season · face · cap · tube · present · plane · last

  1. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  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 — all right
  2. tube — the underground
  3. season — in sport
  4. last — final
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. present — a gift
  7. face — to point toward
  8. present — the time now
  9. tube — a container
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. cap — a hat
  12. season — of the year
  13. face — to confront
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. last — finally
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. plane — a tool
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. last — to go on
  20. cap — of ice
  21. cap — a lid
  22. present — there
  23. face — part of the head
  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