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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.

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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. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. rest — what's left
  3. charge — electricity
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. tear — from crying
  7. charge — in control
  8. degree — an amount
  9. degree — temperature
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. tear — to rip
  12. season — in sport
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. season — of the year
  16. degree — from a university
  17. mine — for digging
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. pass — a permit
  20. charge — a price
  21. rest — a break
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. rest — what's left
  24. tear — from crying

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