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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. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. lie — to recline
  8. bat — the animal
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. sharp — clever
  13. bass — the fish
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. bass — low music
  18. bat — for baseball

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