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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.

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: cold · plane · pass · mark · bowl · bulb · fan · present

  1. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. The water is too ________________.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — an illness
  2. present — there
  3. present — a gift
  4. mark — a grade
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. cold — the Cold War
  8. plane — a tool
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. bulb — for light
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. cold — not warm
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. pass — a permit
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. bulb — for light
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. mark — a trace
  24. present — the time now

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