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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. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. mate — to breed
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. prune — to trim
  5. mug — a cup
  6. object — a thing
  7. mate — a friend
  8. saw — the tool
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. mug — to rob
  14. hand — in cards
  15. saw — the tool
  16. pass — a permit
  17. prune — to trim
  18. plane — a tool
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. mug — a face
  21. object — an aim
  22. object — to protest
  23. hand — help
  24. mate — a partner

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