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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. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. wound — an injury
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. cue — for pool
  6. bat — the animal
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. cue — a signal
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. pass — a permit
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. toast — bread
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. cue — a hint
  17. wound — an injury
  18. wake — a trail
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. sharp — clever
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. lie — to recline
  24. toast — the most admired

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