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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: mark · spring · cue · fall · plane · file · stand · rash

  1. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  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. mark — a grade
  2. fall — to drop
  3. stand — to bear
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. mark — a trace
  7. cue — for pool
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. plane — a tool
  10. spring — a coil
  11. cue — a hint
  12. file — a line of people
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. rash — hasty
  15. file — a document
  16. rash — a series
  17. file — a tool
  18. spring — of water
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. spring — the season
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. fall — to drop
  23. cue — a signal
  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