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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. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. suit — to fit
  3. ball — a great time
  4. squash — to crush
  5. cap — a lid
  6. squash — the sport
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. suit — in cards
  11. cap — a hat
  12. sharp — clever
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. cap — of ice
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. suit — clothes
  17. ball — a dance
  18. sharp — with an edge

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