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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 · current · plane · key · tear · present · face

  1. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. face — part of the head
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. current — electric
  5. tear — from crying
  6. present — the time now
  7. present — there
  8. current — of water
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. face — to confront
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. current — happening now
  13. key — the most important part
  14. tear — from crying
  15. wake — a trail
  16. pass — a permit
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. key — for a lock
  19. key — in music
  20. present — a gift
  21. face — to point toward
  22. plane — a tool
  23. tear — to rip
  24. pass — to succeed

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