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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. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. bass — the fish
  4. clip — a video
  5. stock — shares
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. plane — a tool
  9. sharp — clever
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. pitch — completely
  13. bass — low music
  14. clip — to cut
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. clip — for paper
  17. stock — goods
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. wake — a trail
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. lie — to recline

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