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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. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. sharp — clever
  5. plane — a tool
  6. foot — a measure
  7. bass — the fish
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. bass — low music
  19. rock — music
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. kick — in football
  24. sharp — exactly

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