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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. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. dip — to sink
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. cue — a signal
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. cue — for pool
  11. sharp — clever
  12. bat — the animal
  13. rush — hurry
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. tube — a container
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. cue — a hint
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. tube — the underground
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. bat — in an idiom

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