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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. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. clip — a video
  7. suit — to fit
  8. can — a tin
  9. clip — to cut
  10. can — a tin
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. sharp — clever
  15. scale — size or range
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. can — to be able to
  19. scale — in music
  20. clip — for paper
  21. suit — clothes
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. suit — in cards
  24. sharp — exactly

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