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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. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. The water is too ________________.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  20. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. row — a line
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. pass — a permit
  6. row — to paddle
  7. clip — for paper
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. cold — not warm
  13. firm — a company
  14. clip — to cut
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. clip — a video
  20. cold — the Cold War
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. firm — steady
  23. cold — an illness
  24. firm — decided

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