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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. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. sharp — clever
  5. wake — a trail
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. staff — employees
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. roll — a cake
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. staff — employees
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. staff — a stick
  18. plane — a tool
  19. roll — a list
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. pit — a hole
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. pit — in a race

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