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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: plane · rule · pass · pitcher · wound · swing · stick · nail

  1. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. wound — an injury
  3. swing — to play on
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. rule — a law
  7. swing — music
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. wound — an injury
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. plane — a tool
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. rule — government
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. swing — in golf
  24. pass — a permit

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