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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. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  11. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. The water is too ________________.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. fine — all right
  5. bulb — for light
  6. bulb — for light
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. cold — the Cold War
  11. cold — an illness
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. pass — a permit
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. plane — a tool
  16. cold — not warm
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. fine — high quality
  21. land — to come down
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. land — a country
  24. deal — to handle

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