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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. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. row — a line
  5. race — humankind
  6. stand — to bear
  7. race — a contest
  8. plane — a tool
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. date — the fruit
  11. sharp — clever
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. lean — thin
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. lean — to bend
  17. row — to paddle
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. race — the arms race
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. foot — a measure
  24. lean — to rest against

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