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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. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. rock — music
  3. season — in sport
  4. rock — a stone
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. season — of the year
  7. fine — high quality
  8. wound — an injury
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. fine — all right
  12. tube — a container
  13. wound — an injury
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. sharp — clever
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. tube — the underground

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