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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: jam · firm · race · calf · pitcher · sharp · lie · plane

  1. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. firm — steady
  4. race — humankind
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. firm — decided
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. race — the arms race
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. race — a contest
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. plane — a tool
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. lie — to recline
  22. firm — a company
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. lie — an untruth

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