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

  1. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. fine — high quality
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. sharp — clever
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. fine — all right
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. branch — a division
  14. bear — the animal
  15. bear — the animal
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. season — in sport
  18. season — of the year

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