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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: fall · bulb · row · rash · ball · sharp · plane · net

  1. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. fall — to drop
  3. row — a line
  4. bulb — for light
  5. ball — a dance
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. rash — a series
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. fall — to drop
  11. row — to paddle
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. fall — the season
  15. net — for catching
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. net — in sport
  18. rash — hasty
  19. ball — a great time
  20. bulb — for light
  21. plane — a tool
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. net — after costs
  24. sharp — clever

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