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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. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  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. nail — on a finger
  2. pass — a permit
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. ground — crushed
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. ground — a position
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. ground — the earth
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. plane — a tool
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. nail — for a hammer
  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