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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. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. pass — a permit
  4. wound — an injury
  5. wound — an injury
  6. spring — the season
  7. craft — boats
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. plane — a tool
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. march — the month
  12. march — the month
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. wax — to grow
  15. march — music
  16. spring — a coil
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. saw — the tool
  19. craft — a skill
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. saw — the tool
  23. spring — of water
  24. plane — an aircraft

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