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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. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. sharp — clever
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. saw — the tool
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. wound — an injury
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. scale — in music
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. pitch — completely
  15. saw — the tool
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. kick — in football
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. scale — size or range
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. wound — an injury

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