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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. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. bear — the animal
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. face — to point toward
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. face — part of the head
  8. plane — a tool
  9. prune — to trim
  10. pound — a weight
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. bear — the animal
  13. prune — to trim
  14. tear — to rip
  15. face — to confront
  16. hand — help
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. tear — from crying
  19. tear — from crying
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. hand — in cards
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. hand — part of the body

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