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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. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. lean — thin
  3. scale — size or range
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. staff — employees
  7. season — of the year
  8. can — a tin
  9. can — a tin
  10. ground — the earth
  11. staff — employees
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. can — to be able to
  15. scale — in music
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. lean — to bend
  18. season — in sport
  19. staff — a stick
  20. plane — a tool
  21. ground — a position
  22. ground — crushed
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. plane — an aircraft

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