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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 newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. mug — a face
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. mug — a cup
  7. mug — to rob
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. land — to come down
  10. file — a document
  11. file — a tool
  12. foot — a measure
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. land — ground
  16. plane — a tool
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. sharp — clever
  21. vault — a safe
  22. file — a line of people
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. land — a country

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