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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. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. object — to protest
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. rash — hasty
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. wake — a trail
  8. object — a thing
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. object — an aim
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. rash — a series
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. sharp — clever
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. race — the arms race
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. race — a contest
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. race — humankind

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