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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 ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. current — electric
  4. current — happening now
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. plane — a tool
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. current — of water
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. hand — in cards
  16. capital — a city
  17. capital — money
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. hand — help
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. bark — to shout
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. pass — a permit

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