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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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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. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. mug — to rob
  3. mug — a face
  4. rash — a series
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. object — a thing
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. pass — a permit
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. mine — for digging
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. object — to protest
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. stand — to bear
  20. plane — a tool
  21. object — an aim
  22. game — wild animals
  23. rash — hasty
  24. game — a match

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