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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 120 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. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. rock — music
  4. season — of the year
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. bear — the animal
  7. lean — thin
  8. bear — the animal
  9. plane — a tool
  10. bat — the animal
  11. lean — to bend
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. pass — a permit
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. season — in sport
  19. fork — in a road
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. rock — a stone
  24. bat — in an idiom

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