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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. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. rush — hurry
  4. court — of a king
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. kick — in football
  7. plane — a tool
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. fine — all right
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. stand — to bear
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. court — of law
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. court — for sport
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. rock — a stone
  20. rock — music
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. fine — high quality
  24. kick — with a leg

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