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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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. tear — to rip
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. object — to protest
  6. object — a thing
  7. track — to keep track
  8. spring — the season
  9. tear — from crying
  10. tear — from crying
  11. track — a song
  12. spell — letters
  13. spring — of water
  14. plane — a tool
  15. pass — a permit
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. squash — to crush
  18. spring — a coil
  19. spell — magic
  20. spell — a short time
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. track — a path
  23. squash — the sport
  24. squash — the vegetable

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