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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.

Make a worksheet

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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. mate — a partner
  3. mate — to breed
  4. net — in sport
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. mate — a friend
  9. net — for catching
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. net — after costs
  12. ground — the earth
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. lean — thin
  16. ground — a position
  17. ground — crushed
  18. lean — to bend

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