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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. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. pop — to visit
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. pop — soda
  7. sharp — clever
  8. bass — low music
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. bass — the fish
  13. kick — in football
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. stock — shares
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. pop — music
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. rush — hurry
  24. stock — goods

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