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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 is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. object — an aim
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. clip — to cut
  5. plane — a tool
  6. rush — hurry
  7. object — a thing
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. bass — the fish
  11. land — ground
  12. bass — low music
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. pass — a permit
  15. clip — for paper
  16. land — a country
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. lean — to bend
  20. object — to protest
  21. land — to come down
  22. clip — a video
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. plane — in geometry

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