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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 office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. plane — a tool
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. fine — all right
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. fall — the season
  11. lie — to recline
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. staff — employees
  14. sharp — clever
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. fall — to drop
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. fine — high quality
  21. staff — a stick
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. fine — a penalty
  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