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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. The ________________ took off on time.
  2. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. The water is too ________________.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. cold — the Cold War
  3. spell — magic
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. staff — employees
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. wake — a trail
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. pass — a permit
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. spell — a short time
  13. rock — a stone
  14. cold — not warm
  15. spell — letters
  16. staff — a stick
  17. rock — music
  18. plane — a tool
  19. cold — an illness
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. pitch — completely
  23. staff — employees
  24. pass — to spend time

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