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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 120 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 didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. plane — a tool
  3. deal — to handle
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. sharp — clever
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. fine — high quality
  10. wake — a trail
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. fine — all right
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. fine — a penalty

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