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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. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a cake
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. saw — the tool
  4. sharp — clever
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. bore — to tire
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. plane — a tool
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. bore — to drill
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. roll — a list
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. stand — to bear
  22. saw — the tool
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. plane — an aircraft

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