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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. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. The water is too ________________.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. bulb — for light
  4. bulb — for light
  5. suit — to fit
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. suit — clothes
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. cold — not warm
  12. plane — a tool
  13. cold — an illness
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. suit — in cards
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. cold — the Cold War
  22. sharp — clever
  23. pit — in a race
  24. pit — a hole

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