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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. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. lie — to recline
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. sharp — clever
  6. rush — hurry
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. shower — rain
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. deal — to handle
  13. fork — in a road
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. present — the time now
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. lean — to bend
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. present — a gift
  23. shower — to wash
  24. present — there

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