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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. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. game — a match
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. last — finally
  6. toast — bread
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. wake — a trail
  10. plane — a tool
  11. game — wild animals
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. prune — to trim
  17. prune — to trim
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. last — to go on
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  24. last — final

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