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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. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. content — happy
  4. shower — rain
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. march — the month
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. march — music
  9. suit — clothes
  10. content — the amount
  11. march — the month
  12. sharp — clever
  13. suit — to fit
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. suit — in cards
  17. mark — a grade
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. shower — to wash
  20. plane — a tool
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. mark — a trace
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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