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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
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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: date · bulb · plane · tear · key · nail · ground · pass

  1. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  22. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. bulb — for light
  3. tear — from crying
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. ground — a position
  7. key — the most important part
  8. pass — a permit
  9. ground — the earth
  10. ground — crushed
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. bulb — for light
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. plane — a tool
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. tear — from crying
  18. key — for a lock
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. date — the fruit
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. key — in music

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