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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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. Have you settled on a ________________?
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. mate — to breed
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. mate — a friend
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. pound — a weight
  12. rush — hurry
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. plane — a tool
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. wake — a trail
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. mate — a partner
  22. date — the fruit
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. foot — a measure

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