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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. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  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. coach — a trainer
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. plane — a tool
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. craft — a skill
  9. pass — a permit
  10. hand — in cards
  11. scale — size or range
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. craft — boats
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. hand — help
  18. lean — to bend
  19. scale — in music
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. chair — a leader
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. lean — thin
  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