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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 took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. net — in sport
  3. plane — a tool
  4. jam — in traffic
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. bear — the animal
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. spell — magic
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. bear — the animal
  15. spell — a short time
  16. land — ground
  17. land — a country
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. land — to come down
  21. net — after costs
  22. pass — a permit
  23. spell — letters
  24. jam — a tight spot

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