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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. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. file — a tool
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. plane — a tool
  11. file — a document
  12. file — a line of people
  13. drill — army training
  14. pass — a permit
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. wind — moving air
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. kid — to tease
  20. lean — thin
  21. kid — child
  22. drill — a practice
  23. lean — to bend
  24. drill — the 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