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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. He is an ace ________________.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. mug — a face
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. file — a line of people
  9. can — a tin
  10. can — a tin
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. sharp — clever
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. land — a country
  15. land — ground
  16. mug — to rob
  17. file — a tool
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. mug — a cup
  21. can — to be able to
  22. file — a document
  23. plane — a tool
  24. land — to come down

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