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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. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. rush — hurry
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. sharp — clever
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. craft — a skill
  9. march — music
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. craft — boats
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. season — in sport
  16. plane — a tool
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. march — the month
  22. march — the month
  23. season — of the year
  24. mouse — the animal

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