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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: bore · ground · plane · racket · can · sharp · rush · straw

  1. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. can — to be able to
  7. ground — crushed
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. ground — the earth
  10. plane — a tool
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. bore — to drill
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. ground — a position
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. bore — to tire
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. sharp — clever
  19. can — a tin
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. can — a tin
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. rush — hurry

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