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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. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. rash — hasty
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. bark — to shout
  6. tube — a container
  7. capital — money
  8. can — to be able to
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. can — a tin
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. can — a tin
  13. tube — the underground
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. plane — a tool
  17. bulb — for light
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. bulb — for light
  22. pass — a permit
  23. capital — a city
  24. rash — a series

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