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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. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. kick — in football
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. can — a tin
  6. pass — a permit
  7. spell — letters
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. root — of a plant
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. root — of a word
  13. rush — hurry
  14. chip — for betting
  15. can — to be able to
  16. can — a tin
  17. spell — magic
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. plane — a tool
  20. spell — a short time
  21. chip — to eat
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. root — the cause

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