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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: rash · fine · perch · plane · stand · band · clip · dip

  1. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  3. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. clip — to cut
  3. clip — a video
  4. rash — hasty
  5. stand — to bear
  6. plane — a tool
  7. rash — a series
  8. dip — to sink
  9. band — a ring
  10. band — a music group
  11. fine — high quality
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. perch — the fish
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. clip — for paper
  21. fine — all right
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. plane — an aircraft

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