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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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. We're on a ________________ here.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. roll — a cake
  4. pass — a permit
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. roll — on a roll
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. march — music
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. saw — the tool
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. march — the month
  13. roll — a list
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. march — the month
  17. kick — in football
  18. saw — the tool
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. plane — a tool
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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