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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. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. club — for golf
  5. wind — moving air
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. band — a music group
  8. land — to come down
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. land — a country
  13. wind — moving air
  14. wake — a trail
  15. club — a group
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. pass — a permit
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. band — a ring
  22. club — for dancing
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. land — ground

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