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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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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: snap · ground · rule · pass · rest · plane · bat · track

  1. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. bat — the animal
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. rule — government
  7. rule — a law
  8. pass — a permit
  9. track — a song
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. track — a path
  12. track — to keep track
  13. snap — to click
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. rest — what's left
  19. plane — a tool
  20. ground — a position
  21. rest — a break
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. rest — what's left
  24. ground — crushed

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