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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. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. row — to paddle
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. wound — an injury
  6. club — for golf
  7. plane — a tool
  8. charge — in control
  9. charge — electricity
  10. tear — from crying
  11. lean — to bend
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. row — a line
  15. tear — from crying
  16. wound — an injury
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. lean — thin
  19. pass — a permit
  20. charge — a price
  21. club — a group
  22. tear — to rip
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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