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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. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. cap — a hat
  4. rest — what's left
  5. sharp — clever
  6. cap — a lid
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. key — in music
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. key — the most important part
  12. cap — of ice
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. key — for a lock
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. season — of the year
  19. rest — what's left
  20. season — in sport
  21. rest — a break
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. season — to add flavour

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