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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: wake · pass · arm · jam · tear · ball · plane · hide

  1. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. tear — to rip
  3. wake — a trail
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. tear — from crying
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. ball — a great time
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. ball — a dance
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. plane — a tool
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. tear — from crying
  21. pass — a permit
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. jam — in traffic

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