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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. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. last — finally
  4. suit — clothes
  5. clip — for paper
  6. last — to go on
  7. clip — a video
  8. last — final
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. ground — a position
  11. suit — in cards
  12. cell — a phone
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. suit — to fit
  15. cell — in biology
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. plane — a tool
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. ground — crushed
  22. sharp — clever
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. clip — to cut

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