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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. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. bark — to shout
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. land — ground
  7. mark — a grade
  8. land — to come down
  9. spring — of water
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. spring — the season
  12. pass — a permit
  13. land — a country
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. deal — to handle
  16. plane — a tool
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. chair — a leader
  20. mark — a trace
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. spring — a coil
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. chair — to sit on

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