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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. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  3. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. We're on a ________________ here.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. roll — a list
  3. roll — a cake
  4. bear — the animal
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. march — the month
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. march — the month
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. bear — the animal
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. sharp — clever
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. march — music
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. plane — a tool
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. roll — on a roll
  24. fine — high quality

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