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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. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. fall — the season
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. sharp — clever
  7. bulb — for light
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. plane — a tool
  10. cue — for pool
  11. bulb — for light
  12. capital — money
  13. capital — a city
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. fall — to drop
  16. fall — to drop
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. pass — a permit
  19. cue — a signal
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. hide — to keep secret

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