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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: nail · pass · land · toast · perch · plane · deal · spell

  1. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. land — ground
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. land — to come down
  10. spell — magic
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. toast — bread
  13. spell — letters
  14. land — a country
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. deal — to handle
  17. plane — a tool
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. pass — a permit
  20. perch — the fish
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. spell — a short time
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. plane — in geometry

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