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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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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: chest · pass · plane · firm · key · mate · row · date

  1. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. Have you settled on a ________________?
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. firm — steady
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. chest — a box
  5. key — the most important part
  6. key — for a lock
  7. chest — of your body
  8. row — a line
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. firm — decided
  11. chest — of your body
  12. date — the fruit
  13. mate — a partner
  14. firm — a company
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. mate — a friend
  17. plane — a tool
  18. pass — a permit
  19. key — in music
  20. row — to paddle
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. mate — to breed
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. pass — to spend time

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