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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 116 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. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. fall — to drop
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. plane — a tool
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. season — in sport
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. season — of the year
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. fall — the season
  14. fall — to drop
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. ball — a great time
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. deal — to handle
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. ball — a dance
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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