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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 116 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. march — music
  3. sharp — clever
  4. march — the month
  5. mug — a face
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. suit — clothes
  10. plane — a tool
  11. mug — to rob
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. suit — in cards
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. suit — to fit
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. mug — a cup
  18. march — the month

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