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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 120 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.

Make a worksheet

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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. pass — a permit
  4. wind — moving air
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. stand — to bear
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. saw — the tool
  14. court — of law
  15. wind — moving air
  16. plane — a tool
  17. saw — the tool
  18. court — for sport

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