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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: fine · plane · rash · pop · roll · fall · ground · bulb

  1. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  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. roll — a cake
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. fine — all right
  6. fall — the season
  7. pop — soda
  8. rash — a series
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. pop — to visit
  11. pop — music
  12. fine — high quality
  13. bulb — for light
  14. ground — a position
  15. ground — the earth
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. roll — a list
  18. fall — to drop
  19. bulb — for light
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. ground — crushed
  22. fall — to drop
  23. rash — hasty
  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