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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 ________________ took off on time.
  2. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. field — farmland
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. pass — a permit
  5. track — a song
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. stand — to bear
  9. tear — from crying
  10. plane — a tool
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. field — for sport
  13. field — a subject
  14. cap — a lid
  15. track — to keep track
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. track — a path
  18. tear — from crying
  19. cap — a hat
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. tear — to rip
  22. cap — of ice
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. pass — to succeed

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