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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. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. rash — hasty
  3. plane — a tool
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. row — to paddle
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. ground — a position
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. ball — a great time
  14. board — to get on
  15. ball — a dance
  16. wound — an injury
  17. ground — crushed
  18. wound — an injury
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. row — a line
  21. ground — the earth
  22. sharp — clever
  23. board — a committee
  24. row — a quarrel

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