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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.

Make a worksheet

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: leaves · pop · mug · rush · drill · game · plane · pass

  1. That must've been a ________________.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  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. rush — a thrill
  2. mug — a face
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. game — a match
  5. drill — the tool
  6. mug — to rob
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. pop — music
  10. rush — hurry
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. game — wild animals
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. mug — a cup
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. drill — army training
  20. pop — to visit
  21. pop — soda
  22. drill — a practice
  23. plane — a tool
  24. pass — a permit

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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