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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 carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. pass — a permit
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. wake — a trail
  6. charge — electricity
  7. charge — a price
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. wound — an injury
  10. root — of a word
  11. file — a line of people
  12. file — a tool
  13. chest — of your body
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. chest — a box
  16. root — the cause
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. file — a document
  19. root — of a plant
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. charge — in control
  23. chest — of your body
  24. wound — an injury

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