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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. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  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. bear — the animal
  3. saw — the tool
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. rest — what's left
  6. sharp — clever
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. rest — a break
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. plane — a tool
  16. bear — the animal
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. saw — the tool
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. rest — what's left
  23. straw — a straw man
  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