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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. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. cell — a phone
  6. rock — a stone
  7. present — the time now
  8. cell — in biology
  9. present — there
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. hand — in cards
  13. mug — a face
  14. hand — help
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. present — a gift
  17. pass — a permit
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. rock — music
  21. mug — a cup
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. cell — in a prison
  24. mug — to rob

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