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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. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. staff — a stick
  3. staff — employees
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. plane — a tool
  6. shower — to wash
  7. shower — rain
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. snap — to click
  15. staff — employees
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. dip — to sink
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. pass — a permit

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