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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 120 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 is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. sharp — clever
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. wind — moving air
  10. plane — a tool
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. rule — government
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. craft — boats
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. craft — a skill
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. wind — moving air
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. rule — a law
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. lean — to bend

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