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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 party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. plane — a tool
  3. bass — low music
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. sharp — clever
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. staff — employees
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. last — final
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. last — to go on
  13. rash — hasty
  14. bass — the fish
  15. staff — a stick
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. staff — employees
  18. pass — a permit
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. cap — a hat
  21. cap — a lid
  22. last — finally
  23. cap — of ice
  24. rash — on the skin

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