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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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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. The ________________ took off on time.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. season — of the year
  3. sharp — clever
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. wax — to grow
  11. fork — in a road
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. mark — a trace
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. season — in sport
  19. mark — a grade
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. plane — a tool
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. fork — a garden tool

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