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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.

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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. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. plane — a tool
  6. season — of the year
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. ground — crushed
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. present — the time now
  12. season — in sport
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. ground — the earth
  15. track — to keep track
  16. track — a path
  17. wake — a trail
  18. sharp — clever
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. ground — a position
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. track — a song
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. present — a gift

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