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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
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: plane · swing · safe · dip · fan · cabinet · fall · march

  1. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. dip — to sink
  3. fall — to drop
  4. march — music
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. swing — in golf
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. march — the month
  10. fall — to drop
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. fall — the season
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. plane — a tool
  17. swing — to play on
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. swing — music
  20. march — the month
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. cabinet — ministers

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