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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. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. mate — a partner
  3. charge — a price
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. wound — an injury
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. present — there
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. charge — electricity
  12. mate — a friend
  13. charge — in control
  14. plane — a tool
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. fine — high quality
  17. wound — an injury
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. present — the time now
  20. mate — to breed
  21. fine — all right
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. present — a gift

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