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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. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. bass — low music
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. rush — hurry
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. plane — a tool
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. drill — the tool
  12. drill — army training
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. mark — a trace
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. bass — the fish
  17. board — a committee
  18. drill — a practice
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. board — to get on
  22. mark — a grade
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. rush — to hurry

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