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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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. plane — a tool
  5. rash — hasty
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. court — for sport
  8. saw — the tool
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. court — of a king
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. fine — all right
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. sharp — clever
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. rash — a series
  21. saw — the tool
  22. court — of law
  23. fine — high quality
  24. plane — in geometry

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