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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.

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: vault · present · march · lash · field · fine · plane · saw

  1. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. march — music
  3. fine — high quality
  4. saw — the tool
  5. fine — all right
  6. march — the month
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. field — a subject
  9. field — farmland
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. present — a gift
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. field — for sport
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. present — there
  17. present — the time now
  18. plane — a tool
  19. vault — a safe
  20. march — the month
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. saw — the tool
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. lash — to lash out

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