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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 120 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 ________________ took off on time.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. sharp — clever
  3. stand — to bear
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. pass — a permit
  6. rule — a law
  7. shower — rain
  8. rule — government
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. current — happening now
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. plane — a tool
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. shower — to wash
  17. ball — a dance
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. current — of water
  20. current — electric
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. ball — a great time

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