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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 120 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. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. pit — a hole
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. mug — a cup
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. hand — in cards
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. fall — to drop
  13. pass — a permit
  14. fall — to drop
  15. pit — in a race
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. plane — a tool
  18. fall — the season
  19. mug — a face
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. mug — to rob
  23. rock — music
  24. rock — a stone

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