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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 124 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. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. The water is too ________________.
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. wake — a trail
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. can — a tin
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. cold — an illness
  9. current — of water
  10. plane — a tool
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. cold — the Cold War
  13. degree — an amount
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. can — to be able to
  16. current — electric
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. degree — temperature
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. can — a tin
  21. cold — not warm
  22. degree — from a university
  23. current — happening now
  24. pass — a permit

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