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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. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. pound — a weight
  3. bound — obliged
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. present — the time now
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. lean — thin
  8. swing — to play on
  9. swing — music
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. mine — for digging
  14. present — a gift
  15. sharp — clever
  16. present — there
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. lean — to bend
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. swing — in golf
  22. plane — a tool
  23. bound — certain
  24. bound — tied together

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