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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. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. mark — a trace
  8. mark — a grade
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. plane — a tool
  14. wake — a trail
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. bore — to drill
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. kid — child
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. kid — to tease
  24. bore — to tire

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