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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: toast · cold · nail · plane · firm · spell · hide · pass

  1. The ________________ took off on time.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. The water is too ________________.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. cold — the Cold War
  5. toast — bread
  6. spell — magic
  7. spell — a short time
  8. cold — not warm
  9. plane — a tool
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. cold — an illness
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. firm — decided
  15. pass — a permit
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. firm — a company
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. spell — letters
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. toast — a drink to someone
  23. firm — steady
  24. nail — for a hammer

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