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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. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. spell — a short time
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. fine — high quality
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. fork — in a road
  9. kid — to tease
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. sharp — clever
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. plane — a tool
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. spell — letters
  18. dip — to sink
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. fine — all right
  22. kid — child
  23. spell — magic
  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