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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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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. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. mug — a face
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. track — a song
  6. mug — to rob
  7. mug — a cup
  8. sharp — clever
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. track — to keep track
  12. toast — bread
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. wake — a trail
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. track — a path
  18. foot — a measure

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