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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. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. pass — a permit
  5. row — to paddle
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. key — the most important part
  8. pound — a weight
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. sharp — clever
  11. key — for a lock
  12. key — in music
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. plane — a tool
  19. row — a line
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. leaves — of a tree

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