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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 120 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 felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. plane — a tool
  3. present — there
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. capital — a city
  6. pass — a permit
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. chest — of your body
  9. object — to protest
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. rule — a law
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. object — a thing
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. object — an aim
  18. present — a gift
  19. present — the time now
  20. chest — a box
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. capital — money
  23. rule — government
  24. pass — to succeed

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