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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 train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. wound — an injury
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. stand — to bear
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. plane — a tool
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. fine — high quality
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. shower — rain
  15. wound — an injury
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. shower — to wash
  18. fine — all right
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. sharp — clever

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