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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 120 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 carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. plane — a tool
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. cue — a hint
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. cue — a signal
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. tear — from crying
  17. tear — to rip
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. tear — from crying
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. cue — for pool

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