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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 116 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
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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: mark · cold · suit · rash · plane · fine · game · mate

  1. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. The water is too ________________.
  21. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. rash — a series
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. mate — a partner
  6. suit — to fit
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. fine — high quality
  10. mark — a grade
  11. fine — all right
  12. mate — to breed
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. plane — a tool
  15. cold — the Cold War
  16. suit — in cards
  17. mark — a trace
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. game — a match
  20. cold — not warm
  21. cold — an illness
  22. rash — hasty
  23. game — wild animals
  24. suit — clothes

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