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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: pass · rush · pop · plane · chair · wave · foot · roll

  1. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a cake
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. pop — to visit
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. plane — a tool
  8. pass — a permit
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. rush — hurry
  12. pop — music
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. pop — soda
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. chair — a leader
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. roll — a list
  22. foot — a measure
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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