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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. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. plane — a tool
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. rest — a break
  8. wound — an injury
  9. rest — what's left
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. hand — in cards
  12. sharp — clever
  13. march — the month
  14. rock — music
  15. hand — help
  16. rock — a stone
  17. march — music
  18. march — the month
  19. bass — the fish
  20. rest — what's left
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. bass — low music
  24. hand — part of the body

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