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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: fall · plane · court · face · bulb · fine · spring · cue

  1. The ________________ took off on time.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. fall — to drop
  3. bulb — for light
  4. court — of law
  5. cue — a signal
  6. face — part of the head
  7. spring — of water
  8. spring — the season
  9. court — for sport
  10. cue — for pool
  11. court — of a king
  12. cue — a hint
  13. spring — a coil
  14. face — to point toward
  15. plane — a tool
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. face — to confront
  18. fine — all right
  19. bulb — for light
  20. fine — high quality
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. fall — to drop
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. fall — the season

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