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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 girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. last — final
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. face — part of the head
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. pass — a permit
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. row — to paddle
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. last — finally
  12. content — happy
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. content — the amount
  15. face — to point toward
  16. stand — to bear
  17. plane — a tool
  18. face — to confront
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. wake — a trail
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. last — to go on

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