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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. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. ball — a great time
  7. bulb — for light
  8. pit — a hole
  9. plane — a tool
  10. object — an aim
  11. pit — in a race
  12. sharp — clever
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. cap — a hat
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. object — a thing
  17. cap — of ice
  18. object — to protest
  19. bulb — for light
  20. lean — to bend
  21. cap — a lid
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. lean — thin

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