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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. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. We're on a ________________ here.
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. roll — a list
  3. fine — high quality
  4. wound — an injury
  5. board — to get on
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. roll — a cake
  9. mine — for digging
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. wound — an injury
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. fine — all right
  16. plane — a tool
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. roll — on a roll
  19. toast — bread
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. sharp — clever
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. board — a committee

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