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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. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. face — part of the head
  3. lie — to recline
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. wound — an injury
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. face — to point toward
  8. mate — a friend
  9. deal — to handle
  10. stem — to come from
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. pass — a permit
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. mate — a partner
  17. sharp — clever
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. mate — to breed
  21. face — to confront
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. wound — an injury

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