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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.

Make a worksheet

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. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. plane — a tool
  3. mine — for digging
  4. sharp — clever
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. file — a document
  8. last — finally
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. file — a tool
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. last — to go on
  15. last — final
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. file — a line of people
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. chair — a leader

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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