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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. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. saw — the tool
  4. charge — a price
  5. season — of the year
  6. degree — temperature
  7. cue — for pool
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. lie — to recline
  11. degree — from a university
  12. charge — electricity
  13. game — wild animals
  14. saw — the tool
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. season — in sport
  18. game — a match
  19. charge — in control
  20. degree — an amount
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. cue — a signal
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. cue — a hint

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