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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. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. sharp — clever
  4. bass — the fish
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. game — wild animals
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. bass — low music
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. net — in sport
  15. plane — a tool
  16. game — a match
  17. net — for catching
  18. net — after costs
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. safe — a strongbox

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