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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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. plane — a tool
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. tear — from crying
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. rush — hurry
  7. tear — to rip
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. land — a country
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. land — ground
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. pass — a permit
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. tear — from crying
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. land — to come down
  23. tube — a container
  24. tube — the underground

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