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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: jam · plane · fine · wind · cap · sharp · tube · foot

  1. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. fine — high quality
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. wind — moving air
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. cap — a hat
  9. fine — all right
  10. cap — of ice
  11. foot — a measure
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. cap — a lid
  16. tube — the underground
  17. tube — a container
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. plane — a tool
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. wind — moving air

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