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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. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. tear — from crying
  3. plane — a tool
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. present — the time now
  8. tear — from crying
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. present — a gift
  12. land — ground
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. present — there
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. sharp — clever
  17. tear — to rip
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. land — to come down
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. land — a country
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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