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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. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. tube — a container
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. sharp — clever
  9. plane — a tool
  10. saw — the tool
  11. last — final
  12. root — of a plant
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. last — to go on
  15. root — of a word
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. root — the cause
  19. saw — the tool
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. stand — to bear
  22. tube — the underground
  23. wax — to grow
  24. stand — on your feet

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