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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. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. face — to point toward
  4. spell — magic
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. field — for sport
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. pass — a permit
  9. kid — child
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. face — to confront
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. field — farmland
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. plane — a tool
  18. face — part of the head
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. spell — letters
  21. kid — to tease
  22. field — a subject
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. spell — a short time

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