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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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Word bank
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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. When was this ________________ built?
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. mug — to rob
  5. spell — magic
  6. squash — the sport
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. mug — a face
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. face — part of the head
  12. face — to confront
  13. squash — to crush
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. game — wild animals
  18. spell — a short time
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. face — to point toward
  21. game — a match
  22. mug — a cup
  23. spell — letters
  24. sharp — clever

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