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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: tube · present · mug · kick · mate · sharp · plane · chest

  1. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. sharp — clever
  4. present — the time now
  5. mug — a face
  6. chest — a box
  7. mug — to rob
  8. plane — a tool
  9. kick — in football
  10. tube — a container
  11. present — a gift
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. tube — the underground
  14. chest — of your body
  15. mate — to breed
  16. mate — a partner
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. mug — a cup
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. chest — of your body
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. mate — a friend

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