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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. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. pass — a permit
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. file — a line of people
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. ground — the earth
  8. lean — thin
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. fall — to drop
  11. plane — a tool
  12. lean — to bend
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. file — a document
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. ground — a position
  20. file — a tool
  21. fall — to drop
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. ground — crushed
  24. fall — the season

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