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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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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: row · current · ground · plane · suit · lean · tear · pass

  1. There's no middle ________________.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. lean — to bend
  3. tear — to rip
  4. current — happening now
  5. suit — in cards
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. suit — clothes
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. current — of water
  10. lean — thin
  11. pass — a permit
  12. row — a line
  13. ground — the earth
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. ground — crushed
  17. plane — a tool
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. tear — from crying
  20. row — to paddle
  21. tear — from crying
  22. current — electric
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. suit — to fit

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