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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 116 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. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. march — the month
  4. shower — to wash
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. shower — rain
  8. sharp — clever
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. lean — thin
  11. track — to keep track
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. march — the month
  14. tube — a container
  15. plane — a tool
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. lean — to bend
  18. saw — the tool
  19. tube — the underground
  20. march — music
  21. track — a path
  22. track — a song
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. saw — the tool

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