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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. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  2. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. mate — to breed
  4. plane — a tool
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. net — in sport
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. lean — to bend
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. face — to confront
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. net — after costs
  15. face — to point toward
  16. jam — in traffic
  17. mate — a friend
  18. mate — a partner
  19. face — part of the head
  20. bore — to tire
  21. lean — thin
  22. pass — a permit
  23. bore — to drill
  24. net — for catching

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