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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. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. stand — to bear
  3. shower — to wash
  4. row — a line
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. staff — employees
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. plane — a tool
  12. sharp — clever
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. staff — a stick
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. row — to paddle
  20. game — a match
  21. game — wild animals
  22. staff — employees
  23. shower — rain
  24. row — a quarrel

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