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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. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. plane — a tool
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. spring — a coil
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. spring — of water
  9. kid — child
  10. kid — to tease
  11. lean — to bend
  12. spring — the season
  13. pass — a permit
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. clip — a video
  16. clip — to cut
  17. lean — thin
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. clip — for paper
  20. fine — all right
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. wake — a trail
  24. fine — high quality

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