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

  1. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. foot — a measure
  6. sharp — clever
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. plane — a tool
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. mate — a friend
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. staff — employees
  16. mate — a partner
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. chair — a leader
  19. staff — employees
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. mate — to breed
  22. staff — a stick
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. calf — a young animal

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