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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 120 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. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. chest — a box
  3. track — a song
  4. saw — the tool
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. track — a path
  7. plane — a tool
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. chest — of your body
  11. cell — a phone
  12. pass — a permit
  13. track — to keep track
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. cell — in biology
  17. bat — the animal
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. chest — of your body
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. saw — 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