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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. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  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. rush — hurry
  2. last — final
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. sharp — clever
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. pound — a weight
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. bank — of a river
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. staff — a stick
  12. staff — employees
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. staff — employees
  15. bank — for money
  16. plane — a tool
  17. last — to go on
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. bank — for money
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. snap — to click
  23. last — finally
  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