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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. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. row — a line
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. bore — to tire
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. last — finally
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. row — to paddle
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. last — to go on
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. mug — to rob
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. mug — a face
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. plane — a tool
  20. mug — a cup
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. bore — to drill
  23. pass — a permit
  24. vault — a safe

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