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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 120 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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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: key · present · sharp · ruler · plane · stick · cap · bat

  1. The ________________ took off on time.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. cap — of ice
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. key — in music
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. present — a gift
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. cap — a lid
  10. bat — the animal
  11. cap — a hat
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. sharp — clever
  17. present — there
  18. key — the most important part
  19. present — the time now
  20. key — for a lock
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. plane — a tool
  23. bat — for baseball
  24. plane — in geometry

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