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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 116 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. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. saw — the tool
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. bore — to tire
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. bass — the fish
  8. rash — a series
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. saw — the tool
  12. bore — to drill
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. rash — hasty
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. rock — a stone
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. plane — a tool
  21. bass — low music
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. rock — music
  24. wake — a trail

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