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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. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. season — of the year
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. object — to protest
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. rest — a break
  9. race — the arms race
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. object — an aim
  12. plane — a tool
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. rest — what's left
  15. object — a thing
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. rest — what's left
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. race — humankind
  20. season — in sport
  21. rule — government
  22. pass — a permit
  23. rule — a law
  24. plane — in geometry

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