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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. The ________________ took off on time.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. squash — the sport
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. suit — in cards
  7. pass — a permit
  8. spell — letters
  9. squash — to crush
  10. spell — a short time
  11. plane — a tool
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. bank — for money
  15. bank — of a river
  16. spell — magic
  17. suit — clothes
  18. chest — of your body
  19. chest — a box
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. suit — to fit
  22. chest — of your body
  23. bank — for money
  24. pass — to spend time

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