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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. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. cell — in biology
  4. sharp — clever
  5. squash — the sport
  6. bound — certain
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. bound — tied together
  10. squash — to crush
  11. drill — army training
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. drill — a practice
  15. drill — the tool
  16. cell — a phone
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. bound — obliged

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