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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. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. sharp — clever
  3. swing — music
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. cap — a lid
  6. mine — for digging
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. cap — a hat
  10. key — the most important part
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. cap — of ice
  13. key — for a lock
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. swing — to play on
  18. key — in music
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. swing — in golf
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. mine — an explosive

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