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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. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  2. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. The water is too ________________.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — an illness
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. cold — not warm
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. key — the most important part
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. sharp — clever
  10. key — in music
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. squash — the sport
  13. key — for a lock
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. squash — to crush
  17. bass — the fish
  18. cold — the Cold War
  19. plane — a tool
  20. bass — low music
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  24. squash — the vegetable

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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