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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 124 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. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. sharp — clever
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. mate — to breed
  7. bear — the animal
  8. mate — a friend
  9. saw — the tool
  10. foot — a measure
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. bear — the animal
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. mate — a partner
  22. saw — the tool
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. bear — to put up with

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