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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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. suit — in cards
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. tear — from crying
  10. suit — to fit
  11. plane — a tool
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. board — to get on
  14. tear — to rip
  15. tear — from crying
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. roll — a cake
  18. sharp — clever
  19. foot — a measure
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. suit — clothes
  22. board — a committee
  23. roll — a list
  24. cabinet — ministers

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