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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. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. kick — in football
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. jam — a tight spot
  7. toast — bread
  8. game — a match
  9. wake — a trail
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. file — a tool
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. game — wild animals
  15. date — the fruit
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. file — a line of people
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. file — a document
  24. kick — with a leg

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