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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. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. wound — an injury
  4. ball — a dance
  5. pass — a permit
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. ball — a great time
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. rush — hurry
  16. wound — an injury
  17. plane — a tool
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. content — the amount
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. content — happy
  24. pitch — completely

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