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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 120 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 carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. wind — moving air
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. pound — a weight
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. mine — for digging
  17. pass — a permit
  18. chip — to eat
  19. bear — the animal
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. rush — hurry
  22. chip — for betting
  23. wind — moving air
  24. bear — the animal

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