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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: prune · plane · deal · band · wave · fine · fan · cold

  1. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. The water is too ________________.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — the Cold War
  2. fine — high quality
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. cold — an illness
  8. deal — to handle
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. prune — to trim
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. plane — a tool
  18. band — a ring
  19. fine — all right
  20. prune — to trim
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. cold — not warm
  24. band — a music group

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