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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 carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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. plane — an aircraft
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. spring — of water
  6. rush — hurry
  7. spring — a coil
  8. pass — a permit
  9. sharp — clever
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. spring — the season
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. branch — a division
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. land — to come down
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. cell — a phone
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. land — ground
  21. land — a country
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. cell — in biology

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