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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. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. Have you settled on a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. lean — to bend
  5. date — the fruit
  6. present — the time now
  7. present — a gift
  8. drill — army training
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. lean — thin
  11. pass — a permit
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. drill — the tool
  14. rest — a break
  15. rest — what's left
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. rest — what's left
  21. drill — a practice
  22. plane — a tool
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. date — on the calendar

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