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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 120 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. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. suit — to fit
  3. cap — of ice
  4. cap — a lid
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. sharp — clever
  7. land — to come down
  8. wind — moving air
  9. board — a committee
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. cap — a hat
  12. wind — moving air
  13. mine — for digging
  14. mark — a trace
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. suit — in cards
  19. mark — a grade
  20. land — ground
  21. land — a country
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. suit — clothes
  24. board — to get on

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