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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. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. ball — a great time
  3. chest — a box
  4. bulb — for light
  5. ball — a dance
  6. chest — of your body
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. bulb — for light
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. pit — in a race
  12. bore — to drill
  13. chest — of your body
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. row — a line
  16. plane — a tool
  17. row — to paddle
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. bore — to tire
  22. pit — a hole
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. sharp — clever

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