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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 120 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 · deal · charge · straw · sharp · degree · rest · plane

  1. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. rest — a break
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. charge — in control
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. plane — a tool
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. degree — temperature
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. charge — a price
  15. pass — a permit
  16. sharp — clever
  17. charge — electricity
  18. degree — from a university
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. rest — what's left
  21. deal — to handle
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. degree — an amount
  24. rest — what's left

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