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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.

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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. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. last — final
  4. can — a tin
  5. sharp — clever
  6. dip — to sink
  7. can — a tin
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. can — to be able to
  10. last — to go on
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. plane — a tool
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. last — finally

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