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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. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. The water is too ________________.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  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. pass — to spend time
  2. last — final
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. last — to go on
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. prune — to trim
  7. cold — an illness
  8. chair — a leader
  9. plane — a tool
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. cold — the Cold War
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. rock — music
  14. cold — not warm
  15. rock — a stone
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. last — finally
  19. prune — to trim
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. chair — a professorship
  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