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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. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. He was locked up in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. sharp — clever
  6. bank — of a river
  7. court — for sport
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. plane — a tool
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. cell — in biology
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. court — of law
  19. cell — a phone
  20. bank — for money
  21. rush — hurry
  22. bank — for money
  23. court — of a king
  24. cell — in a prison

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