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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. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. plane — a tool
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. sharp — clever
  6. bore — to tire
  7. mine — for digging
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. saw — the tool
  10. current — electric
  11. saw — the tool
  12. current — of water
  13. bore — to drill
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. ground — crushed
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. current — happening now
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. ground — the earth
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. ground — a position

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