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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. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. pit — a hole
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. plane — a tool
  7. pitch — completely
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. wound — an injury
  10. rest — a break
  11. spell — letters
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. bound — certain
  14. pass — a permit
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. spell — a short time
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. bound — tied together
  20. wound — an injury
  21. rest — what's left
  22. pit — in a race
  23. bound — obliged
  24. spell — magic

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