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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. The ________________ took off on time.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  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. plane — an aircraft
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. bat — the animal
  5. plane — a tool
  6. rash — hasty
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. cap — a hat
  11. rash — a series
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. cap — of ice
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. chair — a leader
  18. cap — a lid
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. ruler — for measuring
  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