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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.

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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: cap · spell · plane · fine · roll · can · lie · club

  1. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. We're on a ________________ here.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. club — a group
  3. spell — letters
  4. club — for dancing
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. can — a tin
  7. fine — all right
  8. roll — a cake
  9. lie — to recline
  10. club — for golf
  11. cap — a hat
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. can — to be able to
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. spell — magic
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. cap — of ice
  18. cap — a lid
  19. roll — a list
  20. spell — a short time
  21. can — a tin
  22. roll — on a roll
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. plane — a tool

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