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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. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. object — an aim
  3. can — to be able to
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. club — for dancing
  6. net — after costs
  7. face — to point toward
  8. face — to confront
  9. net — for catching
  10. object — to protest
  11. land — to come down
  12. can — a tin
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. face — part of the head
  15. object — a thing
  16. club — for golf
  17. plane — a tool
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. net — in sport
  20. can — a tin
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. land — ground
  23. club — a group
  24. land — a country

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