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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. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. cap — a hat
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. net — for catching
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. sharp — clever
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. net — after costs
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. net — in sport
  17. cap — of ice
  18. cap — a lid

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