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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 116 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. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. spring — a coil
  3. land — a country
  4. firm — steady
  5. rush — hurry
  6. firm — decided
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. sharp — clever
  9. spring — the season
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. prune — to trim
  14. firm — a company
  15. land — ground
  16. spring — of water
  17. prune — to trim
  18. land — to come down

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