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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. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. rest — a break
  7. plane — a tool
  8. sharp — clever
  9. pit — a hole
  10. pit — in a race
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. hand — help
  13. hand — in cards
  14. rush — hurry
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. rest — what's left
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. ground — crushed
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. ground — a position
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. ground — the earth

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