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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: kick · cabinet · sharp · mate · fan · ground · wound · plane

  1. The ________________ took off on time.
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. wound — an injury
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. ground — the earth
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. wound — an injury
  13. mate — to breed
  14. kick — in football
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. sharp — clever
  17. mate — a partner
  18. ground — a position
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. ground — crushed
  22. mate — a friend
  23. plane — a tool
  24. sharp — exactly

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