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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 ________________ took off on time.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  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. plane — an aircraft
  2. present — a gift
  3. can — a tin
  4. plane — a tool
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. can — to be able to
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. present — there
  9. degree — temperature
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. season — in sport
  12. degree — an amount
  13. mine — for digging
  14. can — a tin
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. season — of the year
  19. sharp — clever
  20. degree — from a university
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. present — the time now
  23. sharp — with an edge
  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