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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. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. ball — a dance
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. sharp — clever
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. face — to point toward
  8. rash — hasty
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. hand — in cards
  11. object — an aim
  12. object — to protest
  13. face — to confront
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. race — humankind
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. object — a thing
  19. face — part of the head
  20. race — the arms race
  21. race — a contest
  22. ball — a great time
  23. rash — a series
  24. hand — help

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