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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 120 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: cell · wave · mark · cap · rule · fine · wound · plane

  1. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. cell — a phone
  3. mark — a grade
  4. wound — an injury
  5. rule — a law
  6. cap — a lid
  7. fine — high quality
  8. cell — in biology
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. cap — of ice
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. wound — an injury
  17. plane — a tool
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. rule — government
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. cap — a hat
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. cell — in a prison
  24. mark — a trace

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