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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. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. pass — a permit
  4. bore — to drill
  5. last — finally
  6. deal — to handle
  7. present — there
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. rest — a break
  10. lean — thin
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. rest — what's left
  13. last — to go on
  14. rest — what's left
  15. bore — to tire
  16. present — the time now
  17. last — final
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. plane — a tool
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. present — a gift

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