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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: plane · track · fine · tube · fall · toast · mine · present

  1. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. fall — to drop
  3. mine — for digging
  4. fall — the season
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. track — a song
  7. plane — a tool
  8. fall — to drop
  9. toast — the most admired
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. toast — a drink to someone
  12. present — the time now
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. tube — the underground
  15. fine — high quality
  16. track — to keep track
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. tube — a container
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. present — there
  22. toast — bread
  23. track — a path
  24. fine — all right

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