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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. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. plane — a tool
  3. swing — in golf
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. can — a tin
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. kid — to tease
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. object — to protest
  14. can — to be able to
  15. object — a thing
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. can — a tin
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. kid — child
  20. swing — to play on
  21. swing — music
  22. fork — in a road
  23. object — an aim
  24. ruler — for measuring

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