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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. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. fall — to drop
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. foot — a measure
  5. can — a tin
  6. fall — to drop
  7. can — a tin
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. fall — the season
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. date — the fruit
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. can — to be able to
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. bound — tied together
  18. bound — obliged
  19. bound — certain
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. sharp — clever
  22. plane — a tool
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. date — on the calendar

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