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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 party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. rash — hasty
  5. stand — to bear
  6. shower — rain
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. sharp — clever
  12. plane — a tool
  13. shower — to wash
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. saw — the tool
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. saw — the tool
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. prune — to trim
  21. scale — size or range
  22. scale — in music
  23. prune — to trim
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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