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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 piece is in a major ________________.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  7. Have you settled on a ________________?
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. last — finally
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. last — final
  6. date — the fruit
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. stand — to bear
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. sharp — clever
  13. plane — a tool
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. key — for a lock
  18. key — the most important part
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. last — to go on

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