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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. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. staff — employees
  3. face — to point toward
  4. tube — a container
  5. suit — in cards
  6. clip — for paper
  7. staff — a stick
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. face — part of the head
  10. clip — a video
  11. key — in music
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. key — for a lock
  14. face — to confront
  15. suit — to fit
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. key — the most important part
  18. present — the time now
  19. staff — employees
  20. present — there
  21. present — a gift
  22. tube — the underground
  23. clip — to cut
  24. suit — clothes

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