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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 sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. plane — a tool
  4. wind — moving air
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. capital — a city
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. capital — money
  12. march — the month
  13. charge — a price
  14. charge — in control
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. fork — in a road
  17. shower — to wash
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. wind — moving air
  20. pass — a permit
  21. march — music
  22. shower — rain
  23. charge — electricity
  24. march — the month

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