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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. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. bark — to shout
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. field — for sport
  8. bore — to drill
  9. field — farmland
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. dip — to sink
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. staff — employees
  18. field — a subject
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. bore — to tire
  21. sharp — clever
  22. plane — a tool
  23. staff — a stick
  24. staff — employees

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