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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. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. rest — what's left
  4. rest — what's left
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. sharp — clever
  7. plane — a tool
  8. spring — a coil
  9. spring — of water
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. foot — a measure
  14. field — farmland
  15. field — for sport
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. spring — the season
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. pass — a permit
  20. field — a subject
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. arm — part of the body

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