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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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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: wound · deal · stand · plane · bay · cell · court · date

  1. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. Have you settled on a ________________?
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. date — the fruit
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. cell — a phone
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. plane — a tool
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. wound — an injury
  12. court — of law
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. wound — an injury
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. stand — to bear
  18. cell — in biology
  19. court — for sport
  20. deal — to handle
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. court — of a king
  24. plane — an aircraft

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