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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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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. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. rest — what's left
  3. fall — to drop
  4. fall — the season
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. fall — to drop
  7. rest — what's left
  8. key — in music
  9. track — a path
  10. track — a song
  11. rest — a break
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. pass — a permit
  14. track — to keep track
  15. root — the cause
  16. bound — certain
  17. bound — obliged
  18. key — the most important part
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. bound — tied together
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. key — for a lock
  23. root — of a plant
  24. root — of a word

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