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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 120 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 ________________ took off on time.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. wound — an injury
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. charge — in control
  7. wound — an injury
  8. cue — for pool
  9. kick — in football
  10. cue — a signal
  11. charge — electricity
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. charge — a price
  14. cue — a hint
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. drill — army training
  20. sharp — clever
  21. drill — the tool
  22. drill — a practice
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. plane — a tool

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