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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. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. sharp — clever
  3. spring — the season
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. rash — a series
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. spring — of water
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. firm — decided
  12. bore — to drill
  13. rash — hasty
  14. firm — steady
  15. chest — of your body
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. chest — a box
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. bore — to tire
  20. wax — to grow
  21. plane — a tool
  22. chest — of your body
  23. firm — a company
  24. spring — a coil

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