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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. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. wound — an injury
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. degree — an amount
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. can — a tin
  10. wound — an injury
  11. can — to be able to
  12. season — of the year
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. degree — temperature
  15. season — in sport
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. track — a song
  18. degree — from a university
  19. can — a tin
  20. track — to keep track
  21. sharp — clever
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. track — a path

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