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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. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. The water is too ________________.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. plane — a tool
  6. cold — not warm
  7. prune — to trim
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. pass — a permit
  10. prune — to trim
  11. cold — the Cold War
  12. sharp — clever
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. wound — an injury
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. wound — an injury
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. deal — to handle
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. cold — an illness
  24. sharp — with an edge

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