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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. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  19. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. plane — a tool
  4. mate — a friend
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. mate — a partner
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. clip — for paper
  10. mine — for digging
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. clip — a video
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. clip — to cut
  19. chest — of your body
  20. mate — to breed
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. chest — a box
  23. sharp — clever
  24. chest — of your body

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