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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. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. march — the month
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. deal — to handle
  5. cell — in biology
  6. bat — the animal
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. march — music
  14. cell — a phone
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. mark — a grade
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. mark — a trace
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. march — the month

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