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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. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. clip — to cut
  3. staff — employees
  4. fall — the season
  5. sharp — clever
  6. fall — to drop
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. staff — employees
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. clip — for paper
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. key — in music
  16. dip — to sink
  17. staff — a stick
  18. key — for a lock
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. key — the most important part
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. clip — a video
  24. fall — to drop

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