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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. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  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. capital — money
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. wound — an injury
  7. scale — size or range
  8. bass — low music
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. capital — a city
  11. lie — to recline
  12. hand — help
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. wound — an injury
  17. scale — in music
  18. bass — the fish
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. plane — a tool
  21. hand — in cards
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. capital — a big letter
  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