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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. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  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. pass — a permit
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. rest — a break
  4. rest — what's left
  5. spring — a coil
  6. ground — a position
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. bank — of a river
  9. band — a ring
  10. charge — electricity
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. ground — crushed
  13. bank — for money
  14. charge — a price
  15. spring — the season
  16. charge — in control
  17. rest — what's left
  18. spring — of water
  19. plane — a tool
  20. ground — the earth
  21. band — a music group
  22. bank — for money
  23. plane — an aircraft
  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