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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. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  8. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. drill — a practice
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. drill — the tool
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. toast — a drink to someone
  8. toast — the most admired
  9. pound — a weight
  10. net — after costs
  11. plane — a tool
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. drill — army training
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. net — in sport
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. fall — to drop
  18. toast — bread
  19. net — for catching
  20. fall — to drop
  21. fall — the season
  22. stem — to come from
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. sharp — with an edge

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