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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. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. cap — a lid
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. band — a ring
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. plane — a tool
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. band — a music group
  15. pass — a permit
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. cap — of ice
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. bat — the animal
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. cap — a hat
  24. nail — for a hammer

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