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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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Word bank
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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. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. pass — a permit
  3. mate — to breed
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. wind — moving air
  7. face — part of the head
  8. chest — a box
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. face — to point toward
  13. chest — of your body
  14. plane — a tool
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. tube — the underground
  17. face — to confront
  18. chest — of your body
  19. mate — a partner
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. tube — a container
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. mate — a friend

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