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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 116 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. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. tube — the underground
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. fork — in a road
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. lean — thin
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. plane — a tool
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. lean — to bend
  18. content — the amount
  19. pass — a permit
  20. tube — a container
  21. content — happy
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. rush — hurry
  24. fork — a garden 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